CRP increases in virtually all conditions associated with tissue damage. It can be used to screen for disease, to indicate whether an infection is likely to be viral or bacterial in origin and is a valuable marker in monitoring disease activity, especially in rheumatological conditions. It can also be used to guide the effectiveness of a therapeutic intervention. CRP can be used to assess the risk of cardiovascular and peripheral vascular disease. CRP can rise rapidly with levels doubling in concentration every 6 hours, and so can monitoring fast changes.
C Reactive Protein (CRP)
C Reactive Protein (CRP)
C Reactive Protein (CRP) is an acute phase reactant and is a marker for infective or inflammatory processes.
CRP levels must be interpreted alongside a relevant clinical history and a complete clinical evaluation, or as a specific marker of a disease process. Markedly increased levels are found in bacterial infections, as a result of abscess formation or sepsis, Crohn’s disease, connective tissue diseases, neoplastic process or as a result of trauma or necrosis. Normal to mild elevation occurs in viral infections, IBD (Ulcerative colitis), SLE, atherosclerosis.
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Our Services
5mL venous serum or plasma
Enfer Medical
Tests/Assays
Enfer Medical offers Immunoturbidimetric technology for the quantitative assay for C- Reactive protein high sensitivity (CRP-HS) . This test is CE-IVD certified.
Patient
Request Form
For clients using the Enfer Medical Client Portal, the Enfer Medical Patient Request Form (PRF) will be generated when you have completed your “Test Request” within the portal linked below.
Please note that samples suspected of containing high risk pathogens such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis should be clearly identified on the form and packed separately from other samples.
Results are available next working day.
This assay is available seven days a week.
Packaging
The packaging/preparation of samples for delivery to the laboratory are required to be in adherence to all national regulations for the safe transport of biological materials. HSE guidance can be reviewed HERE.
There are specific packaging instructions and labelling requirements requiring triple packaging including:
- Primary leak-proof container – tube or vial containing the sample.
- Secondary watertight container, with absorbent material, intended to protect the primary container.
- Outer container protects the secondary container.
- Patient Request forms must be placed between the secondary container and the outer shipping container.
Further information on the packaging/preparation of samples for delivery to the laboratory is contained within the Enfer Medical Laboratory User Manual which clients are provided with.
Storage & Stability
Specimens must be tested within 7 days of collection and stored at 2-8°C.
Samples
In addition to the packaging of samples, the transport/delivery of clinical samples to the laboratory is required to be in adherence to all national regulations for the safe transport of biological materials. Enfer Medical provides a fully compliant logistics service, aligned with clients’ testing requirements.
Prompt transport of specimens:
To ensure prompt testing of samples and release of results within the published test turnaround times, samples should arrive to the laboratory by 18:00. Test turnaround time is measured from receipt of the sample at the laboratory until the time the authorised results are reported to users.
of Samples
In rare cases specimens may not be suitable for testing on arrival to the laboratory. In that case the sample will be rejected at the receipt stage and the service user will be notified immediately and an explanation as to why the sample could not be processed will be provided. Reasons why samples cannot be processed include but are not limited to:
- Samples received beyond the stability limits and/or not at the correct temperature indicated for each test.
- Incorrect sample type received.
- Leaking samples, sample not received or sample insufficient for analysis as stated below within sample requirements.
- Non-compliant samples or request forms i.e. those missing sample date information, missing sample test request and/or missing sample site/type information.
- Samples received without the necessary patient identifiers.
Our Services
Quantitative results for C Reactive Protein High Sensitivity (CRP-HS) are reported in numeric value in mg/L. Please contact us for more information on the reference ranges used at Enfer Medical.
Critical results are communicated in accordance with the Communication of critical results for patients in the community- national laboratory handbook CSP041/2019
Accessing
Your Results
Following receipt at the Laboratory, results should be available on the next working day and will be reported to the referring clinician via the Enfer Medical Client Portal or in a format agreed with clients.
Established clients can login to the portal using the link above.