Are there conditions where the erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and other blood tests are unreliable for diagnosis of pediatric musculoskeletal infections?

Are there conditions where the erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and other blood tests are unreliable for diagnosis of pediatric musculoskeletal infections?

Authors: Ali Parsa, Mohammad Hammad

RECOMMENDATION: Yes. Serum tests including ESR, C-reactive protein (CRP) and absolute white blood cell (WBC) count might be unreliable for diagnosis of pediatric musculoskeletal infections in neonates, patients with rheumatological disease, post-trauma, post-surgery, patients with Lyme arthritis and those receiving intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) administration.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Moderate

DELEGATE VOTE: Agree: 88%, Disagree: 3%, Abstain: 9% (Super Majority, Strong Consensus)

Peds-3

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