[Determination of capillary plasma C-reactive protein during therapy for acute infectious lung diseases].

: Changes in the concentration of C-reactive protein (CRP), leukocytes, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and differential blood count were comparatively estimated in the treatment of 66 infants (aged 1.12 +/- 0.95 years) with acute infectious lung diseases. There was a high correlation between capillary plasma and venous serum CRP concentrations. On the first day of effective antibiotic therapy, there was a significant decrease in CRP levels; the sensitivity and specificity were 96 and 94%, respectively. Thus, measurement of capillary blood CRP is an accessible and informative tool to monitor therapy for infectious lung diseases in infants.