C- reactive protein levels in women with prelabour rupture of membrane and women with normal labour

BACKGROUND: There is a very little information known about CRP in term pregnancies. It is a marker that is easily tested and is inexpensive. Although CRP has been used very effectively in diagnosing infection in the neonate, its clinical use and values have not been studied in term pregnancies. The level of CRP that is truly normal or clinically innocuous is not known. OBJECTIVES: This is a cross-sectional study to compare the CRP levels in antenatal women with PROM and women with normal labor and assess its utility to predict sepsis. METHODS: This is a prospective study done over a period of one year and approved by the insititutional ethical committee (IRB. Min. No 11102[OBSERVE] dated 10.01.2018). Sample for CRP was collected from 112 antenatal women with prelabor rupture of membranes within 12 hours of admission (Group A) and from 112 antenatal women in spontaneous labor without rupture of membrane (Group B). CRP samples are processed by nephelometry method. RESULTS: The median CRP value in Group A is 9.15 and Group B is 7.26, with no statistical difference. Chorioamnionitis, neonatal sepsis, and endometritis were similar in both the groups. CONCLUSION: CRP cannot be used as predictor for chorioamnionitis, endometritis, and neonatal sepsis. There was no significant difference in CRP levels between the two groups.