Retrospective Evaluation of C-reactive Protein for Ruling Out Infection After Cesarean Section

Area of Science:

• Obstetrics and Gynecology
• Clinical Pathology
• Infectious Disease Epidemiology

Background:

• Postoperative infection following cesarean section (CS) significantly contributes to maternal morbidity.
• C-reactive protein (CRP) is a commonly used biomarker to detect postoperative infections.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the utility of C-reactive protein (CRP) in ruling out infections after cesarean section (CS).
• To determine if reliable cut-off values for CRP exist for diagnosing postoperative infection.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective analysis of 2056 patients undergoing cesarean section over three years.
• Collected outcome data, risk factors for infection, and compared preoperative and postoperative CRP values.

Main Results:

• Postoperative infection occurred in 3.8% of CS cases, with the highest prevalence in secondary CS.
• CRP levels were significantly higher in the infection group compared to the non-infected group.
• No reliable CRP cut-off value was identified for ruling out infection.

Conclusions:

• Despite statistically significant differences, CRP levels lack clinical relevance for diagnosing CS infections.
• CRP testing is not a dependable method for ruling out or diagnosing postoperative infections after cesarean section.