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If someone says ‘NHL’ in MDT → politely ask “which one?”
07/02/2026

If someone says ‘NHL’ in MDT → politely ask “which one?”

31/01/2026

(C-reactive protein) vs. (erythrocyte sedimentation rate) vs. (PCT)

CRP (C-reactive protein)
• Best for: Acute inflammation and monitoring response (trend day-to-day).
• Kinetics: rises fast (≈ 6–8 hours), peaks ~48 hours, falls quickly when inflammation resolves.
• Use when: pneumonia/UTI, post-op infection, IBD flare, cellulitis, monitoring treatment.

ESR (Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate)
• Best for: Chronic inflammation and some classic diagnoses.
• Kinetics: rises slow (days), falls slow (weeks) → not great for rapid decisions.
• High-yield uses: Temporal arteritis (GCA), Polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR), chronic inflammatory/autoimmune disease trends.

Procalcitonin (PCT)
• Best for: Bacterial infection / sepsis likelihood and sometimes antibiotic stewardship.
• Kinetics: rises very fast (≈ 3–6 hours), peaks ~24 hours, falls with control of bacterial source.
• Pattern: tends to be low in viral infections (not always) and higher in bacterial systemic infection.

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