Diagnostic and Differential Effects of CRP and PCT on Respiratory Virus and Mycoplasma Pneumoniae Infections in Children with Respiratory Tract Infections: A Meta-Analysis

Background: This study aimed to investigate the differential diagnostic value of CRP and PCT in distinguishing viral and Mycoplasma pneumonia infections in children with respiratory tract infections. Methods: A total of 13 relevant articles (12 of relatively high quality) were included after quality evaluation, through a literature search. Meta-analysis and SROC curve evaluation were performed. Results: The pooled sensitivity and specificity of CRP diagnosis were 0.91 (95% CI: 0.893-0.937) and 0.4815 (95% CI: 0.440-0.523), respectively, and the area under the SROC curve was 0.699. The pooled sensitivity and specificity of PCT were 68.92% (95% CI: 64.9%-72.7%) and 50.00% (95% CI: 45.6%-54.4%), respectively, and the area under the curve was 0.595. Conclusion: CRP demonstrated higher sensitivity, while PCT showed relatively better specificity. Using both together could improve diagnostic performance.