GP researchers warn more tests just mean more work
UK study reports that while multiple marker testing is rising there's a high rate of false-positives
Testing for multiple inflammatory markers does not improve the ability to rule out or rule in disease and should be avoided, a study suggests.
Primary care researchers in the UK say multiple marker testing is on the rise but is associated with increased rates of discordant results, which are a challenge for clinicians to interpret.
In a prospective cohort study, the team compared the diagnostic test performance of three markers: CRP, ESR and plasma viscosity (PV).
The cohort comprised 137,000 patients who had tests in 2014, 39% of whom had more than one marker tested.
