C-reactive protein and the treatment of pelvic inflammatory disease.

OBJECTIVE: The significance of C-reactive protein (CRP) in assessing the treatment of pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) was established and compared with body temperature (BT), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and serum leukocyte concentration (L). METHOD: In 51 patients with PID, 20 (39%) of them with tubo-ovarial abscess (TOA), measurement of BT and laboratory investigations were carried out on admission and during treatment on days 3-4, 6-8 and 18-21. The changes in these values were compared with the changes in clinical condition. RESULT: Prior to treatment, the majority--49 patients or 96.1%--had increased CRP values. In successful treatment, the CRP values decreased significantly in PID patients without TOA on day 3-4, in patients with TOA on day 6-8 and reached normal values in both groups on day 18-21. Changes in clinical condition were most concurrent with changes in CRP. CONCLUSION: In assessing PID treatment, the determination of CRP has precedence over L, ESR and BT as the percentage of patients with increased CRP is higher and because the changes in value follow the changes in clinical condition more reliably.