What a CRP and hs-CRP test covers

What it measures

A C-reactive protein test measures the level of C-reactive protein (CRP), a protein made by the liver, in a sample of blood.

Sellers sometimes label the order high-sensitivity CRP (hs-CRP). That label names a method aimed at smaller amounts of the same protein. Confirm the method name on the offer. A standard CRP offer and an hs-CRP offer are the same comparison only when the offer says so.

This page does not say what a CRP number means.

Reference ranges vary by lab. This page does not interpret a result, and it does not say what a high or low number means. Ask your clinician.

How the sample is collected

Collection is a blood sample. A needle enters a vein, and the sample goes into the tube the order names. The visit is at a patient service center or another collection site the seller names. The cited pages do not give one visit length for every lab, so this page does not state one.

Prep and fasting

Prep, including whether to fast, is set by the order and by the seller. This page does not state prep steps. A cash price page states prep only as the seller states it, with the date it was checked.

How long results usually take

The cited pages do not publish one result-release time that every lab uses. When you compare cash offers, use the window that offer states, and the date this site last checked that offer.

How to compare cash prices

Line up the same test name, the component list on the offer, the date the price was checked, any draw fee the offer states, and any physician-order fee the offer states. A missing fee stays missing. This page does not list amounts. See how to compare lab test prices.

This site does not have a CRP or hs-CRP cash price page yet.