C‐reactive protein levels in acute respiratory exacerbations of cystic fibrosis

C‐reactive protein (CRP) levels increase in response to bacterial infection and have been used to guide the use of antibiotics. We assessed CRP levels in a cohort of patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) admitted to hospital with an exacerbation of their lung disease, requiring treatment with broad‐spectrum antibiotics. In this group, most subjects had CRP levels of less than 20 mg/L, including patients who had pneumonia. The clinical utility of the CRP in guiding antibiotic use in exacerbations of CF is limited.