Letter to the Editor
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2022. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Clin Cases. Oct 26, 2022; 10(30): 11210-11213
Published online Oct 26, 2022. doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v10.i30.11210
C-Reactive protein role in assessing COVID-19 deceased geriatrics and survivors of severe and critical illness
Wassan Nori
Wassan Nori, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Mustansiriyah University, Baghdad 10052, AL-Saydyiah, Iraq
Author contributions: Nori W designed research and reviewed data; wrote and revised the letter; the author has read and agreed on the final version of the manuscript.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the author declares; that we have no conflict of interest.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Wassan Nori, PhD, Academic Editor, Academic Research, Senior Researcher, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Mustansiriyah University, Al-Amine, Baghdad 10052, AL-Saydyiah, Iraq. dr.wassan76@uomustansiriyah.edu.iq
Received: September 12, 2022
Peer-review started: September 12, 2022
First decision: September 26, 2022
Revised: September 26, 2022
Accepted: September 29, 2022
Article in press: September 29, 2022
Published online: October 26, 2022
Processing time: 38 Days and 12.9 Hours
Abstract

Numerous risk variables, including age, medical co-morbidities, and deranged inflammatory response, lead to higher mortality in a senior population with coronavirus disease 2019. C-reactive protein (CRP), an acute phase inflammatory protein secreted by the liver, was tested in the elderly, showing a diagnostic and prognostic role. However, recent research has shed light on new applications for CRP in geriatrics. It was used as a follow-up marker and as a therapeutic target. Early and accurate identification of patients' risks may mitigate the devastation of the invading virus in older cases and permit the implementation of a quick treatment plan for those most likely to deteriorate.

Keywords: COVID-19; Geriatrics; Deceased; Severe infection; C-reactive protein; Age

Core Tip: Elderly patients suffer higher morbidity and mortality rates. The elderly are a high-risk group due to their deranged immune responses, associated medical illnesses, and poor responses to supportive treatment. C-Reactive protein (CRP) is an inflammatory marker used in the investigation panel of coronavirus disease 2019. CRP distinguished severe infections and predicted deleterious outcomes. Increased levels were reported in the deceased, critically ill, and elderly with respiratory failure underlying exaggerated inflammatory response and overactive cytokines production. Recent studies have discussed a therapeutic avenue for the elderly. CRP may help guide clinical decisions and patient follow-up, ultimately improving outcomes.