Table 8.
Demographics, clinical characteristics and baseline laboratory findings and comorbidity profile of COVID-19 patients according to procalcitonin level after propensity score matching
| Variables | Category | PCT < 0.2 (n = 45) |
PCT ≥ 0.2 (n = 45) |
p-value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Demographics | ||||
| Gender | Female | 17 (37.8) | 17 (37.8) | 1.0000 |
| Age | Mean (SD) | 55.1 (11.2) | 53.4 (13.1) | 0.5070 |
| Age groups | < 50 | 13 (28.9) | 16 (35.6) | 0.7838 |
| 50–59 | 14 (31.1) | 15 (33.3) | ||
| 60–60 | 13 (28.9) | 9 (20.0) | ||
| ≥ 70 | 5 (11.1) | 5 (11.1) | ||
| Ethnicity | Malay | 22 (48.9) | 27 (60.0) | 0.6236 |
| Chinese | 9 (20.0) | 7 (15.6) | ||
| Indian | 8 (17.8) | 8 (17.8) | ||
| Others | 6 (13.3) | 3 (6.7) | ||
| Clinical characteristics and baseline laboratory | ||||
| Severity of disease | Category 4 | 35 (77.8) | 37 (82.2) | 0.5982 |
| Category 5 | 10 (22.2) | 8 (17.8) | ||
| Days of illness | Mean (SD) | 5.7 (2.8) | 5.6 (3.0) | 0.8852 |
| SPO2 under RA (%) | < 92% | 38 (84.4) | 42 (93.3) | 0.1797 |
| ≥ 92% | 7 (15.6) | 3 (6.7) | ||
| RR, bpm | < 20 | 5 (11.1) | 4 (8.9) | |
| 20–29 | 33 (73.3) | 31 (68.9) | ||
| ≥ 30 | 7 (15.6) | 10 (22.2) | ||
| GCS | < 15 | 9 (20.0) | 11 (24.4) | 0.6121 |
| 15 | 36 (80.0) | 34 (75.6) | ||
| Urea, mmol/dL | < 7 | 24 (53.3) | 20 (44.4) | 0.0139 |
| 7–14 | 17 (37.8) | 10 (22.2) | ||
| > 14 | 4 (8.9) | 15 (33.3) | ||
| CRP, mg/dL | < 5 | 17 (37.8) | 1 (2.2) | < 0.0001 |
| 5–9.9 | 13 (28.9) | 15 (33.3) | ||
| ≥ 10 | 15 (33.3) | 29 (64.4) | ||
| WBC (× 1012/L) | Mean (SD) | 9.79 (4.26) | 10.69 (6.09) | 0.4148 |
| ANC (× 109/L) | Mean (SD) | 7.89 (4.32) | 8.74 (5.82) | 0.4328 |
| Comorbidity profile | ||||
| No. of comorbidity | 0 | 15 (33.3) | 15 (33.3) | 0.9654 |
| 1 | 19 (42.2) | 18 (40.0) | ||
| ≥ 2 | 11 (24.4) | 12 (26.7) | ||
| Hypertension | Yes | 24 (53.3) | 27(60.0) | 0.5234 |
| Chronic cardiac disease (excluding HPT) | Yes | 12 (26.7) | 12 (26.7) | 1.0000 |
| Asthma | Yes | 1 (2.2) | 0 | n.a |
| Chronic pulmonary disease (excluding asthma) | Yes | 1 (2.2) | 2 (4.4) | n.a |
| Diabetes mellitus | Yes | 24 (53.3) | 21 (46.7) | 0.5271 |
| Pre-existing renal disease | Yes | 5 (11.1) | 9 (20.0) | 0.2447 |
| Stage 2 | 2 | 0 | ||
| Stage 3 | 0 | 1 | ||
| Stage 4 | 2 | 0 | ||
| Stage 5 | 1 | 8 | ||
| HIV/AIDS | Yes | 0 | 0 | n.a |
| Malignancy | Yes | 1 (2.2) | 0 | n.a |
| Smoking | Yes, current | 0 | 2 (4.4) | n.a |
| Obesity (> 30 kg/m2) | Yes | 2 (4.4) | 4 (8.9) | 0.6766 |
| Chronic liver disease | Yes | 0 | 1 (2.2) | |
| Dementia | Yes | 0 | 0 | |
| Chronic neurological disease | Yes | 2 (4.4) | 1 (2.2) | |
| Connective tissue disease | Yes | 2 (4.4) | 2 (4.4) | |
ANC absolute neutrophil count, CRP C-reactive protein, GCS Glasgow Coma Scale, HIV/AIDS human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, PCT procalcitonin, RR respiratory rate, RA room air, SD standard deviation, WBC white blood cell count