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CRP - 000103

This test is done to measure the level of a substance called C - reactive protein (CRP) in your blood. This is a protein which is produced in the liver, and is considered to be an inflammatory marker. Meaning that the levels of CRP increases in your blood, only when there is inflammation going on in some part of your body, indicating that something is not right.

This test will help measure the levels of the C - reactive protein in your blood, helping your doctor to determine if they are normal or above the required value. This test is commonly performed when your doctor suspects that you may be having an ongoing infection, and very high values may help determine the seriousness of the condition as well.

This test is done to help determine a possible cause for your illness, and is also used to monitor conditions which end up causing inflammation in your body, if you have been started on treatment, in order to determine the response to treatment. This test will commonly be ordered by your doctor if you complain of fever, cough, and nausea and vomiting.

There are no special preparations that you have to make before you undergo this test.

During this, a Medical Lab Technician will draw out a small volume of blood, using a needle and syringe which is inserted into a vein in your arm. This blood sample is then sent to the lab for analysis.

Since this test is a simple drawing of blood, you will not feel a lot of discomfort. You might experience a mild pain on inserting the needle, but you will not experience any uneasiness afterwards.

There is very little risk in undergoing a CRP test, because it is a simple blood drawing. Very rarely you might continue to have a mild pain or some swelling at the site where the needle was inserted, but these symptoms will resolve on their own within a couple of days.

The normal value for the CRP test is less than 10 mg/L. If your results are indicating a value higher than this, then it means there is some type of inflammation going on in an area of your body. But it doesn’t indicate exactly where this is happening. Very high levels indicate a more serious problem. If you receive results showing higher than normal values, you must get advice from your doctor regarding the next step.

While the level of C – reactive protein in your body can go up during various illnesses, certain medications which you might be taking may also elevate the level of CRP. Therefore if you get a higher than normal result, you have to discuss the medication you are taking with your doctor as well.