How useful are inflammatory marker tests in primary care? - ARC West

Blood tests known as ‘inflammatory markers’ can detect inflammation in the body, caused by many diseases including infections, auto-immune conditions and cancers. The tests don’t identify what’s causing the inflammation: it might be as simple as a viral infection, or as serious as cancer.Millions of inflammatory marker tests are ordered by GPs in England each year and rates of testing are rising. Many of these tests will be done appropriately, but GPs are increasingly using them as a non-specific test to rule out serious underlying disease. Until now there has been no evidence about whether this is a good strategy.Inflammatory marker tests can help doctors feel more confident that they are not missing anything. But they can sometimes sound a false alarm.If results are abnormal, a doctor might need to repeat the test or do more tests to find out what’s wrong. Sometimes doctors never find a cause for the inflammation and the results go back to normal on their own.This investigation is th...