Use of C-Reactive Protein and Ferritin Biomarkers in Daily Pediatric Practice

Abstract

Recent pediatric clinical research has begun to focus on risk stratification tools using multibiomarker models. C-reactive protein (CRP) and ferriti biomarkers are widely available and used to varying degrees in daily practice, but there is no single source examining the evidence behind their use. We set out to summarize the evidence behind the use of CRP and ferritin biomarkers in pediatric practice and to begin development of a consensus for their future use for pediatricians. All the literature involving CRP and ferritin in pediatrics available on PubMed was surveyed. Research applicable to daily pediatric practice was summarized in the body of the article. Pediatric clinicians of various subspecialties contributed to the summary of the use of CRP and ferritin biomarkers in clinical practice in various disease processes. A clinical decision pathway is described, and evidence is summarized. CRP and ferritin biomarkers have diverse uses with various cutoff values in the literature, making their use in daily practice difficult. Elevation of these markers coincides with their significant elevation in uncontrolled inflammation. CRP and ferritin biomarkers are widely used in pediatrics. This review provides a resource summarizing evidence into a single source. There is sufficient evidence to indicate that these biomarkers of inflammation can be useful in guiding clinical decision making in specific clinical scenarios; however, further work is needed to improve their use in clinical practice.