Kantar, Yusuf; Baykan, Necmi; İpekten, Funda; İmamoğlu, Melih

Aim: reactive protein (CRP) levels and outcomes such as hospitalization, discharge, readmission, and mortality in geriatric patients (aged 65 and over) presenting to the emergency department for non-traumatic reasons. Material and Methods: CRP levels were retrospectively analyzed from blood tests taken during routine diagnostic and therapeutic processes for patients over 65 years of age who presented to the emergency department of a secondary state hospital for non-traumatic reasons between January 1, 2023, and June 30, 2023. Patients were categorized into five CRP level groups (5-50 mg/L, 51-100 mg/L, etc.) and evaluated for their medical history, complaints, hospitalization status, consultation requests, and mortality. Results: Patients with CRP levels between 5-100 mg/L were more frequently diagnosed with non-infective causes, while CRP levels over 101 mg/L were predominantly associated with infective causes. A statistically significant association was found between elevated CRP levels and increased rates of hospitalization and mortality (p < 0.001). Conclusion: A significant relationship was observed between CRP levels and the rates of consultation and hospitalization in geriatric patients admitted to the emergency department for non-traumatic reasons. Additionally, elevated CRP levels were strongly associated with increased mortality rates among hospitalized patients. The findings indicate that CRP levels exceeding 101 mg/L were associated with infectious diagnoses and poor outcomes, highlighting the need for close monitoring of these patients. CRP levels should be considered an integral part of the decision-making process in geriatric emergency patients.