[C-reactive protein. Value in diagnosis of infectious complications of hydrocephalus children with shunt (author's transl)].

The C-reactive protein, leukocytes count and erythrocyte sedimentation rate, were determined in 32 hydrocephalus children treated with shunt, on the 1st day, 5th day and 10th day postintervention. C-reactive protein was positive on the 5th day postintervention in the 66.6% of the patients with infection and the 100% of these patients on the 10th day. In three patients C-reactive protein was the first sign of infection. In 33.3% of the patients with infectious complications, C-reactive protein positive was earlier than leukocytes and erythrocyte sedimentation rate abnormalities. From these findings, authors suggest C-reactive protein as valuable test in the postoperative control of the hydrocephalus children and should alert to the possibility of a infectious complication.