TYPE: Abstract
TOPIC: Chest Infections
PURPOSE: To determine the simple laboratory parameters to predict disease severity among COVID-19 patients in resource-limited settings.
METHODS: Retrospective cohort study was conducted at Nakhonpathom Hospital, a 722-bed tertiary care hospital, with an average of 50,000 admission per year, during April 15 and May 15, 2021. Eligible patients were adults, aged ≥ 15 years, who hospitalized with COVID-19. Baseline characteristics, comorbid conditions and laboratory findings at admission were collected. Patients with severe disease were defined if they required a high concentration of oxygen (nonrebreather mask, high flow nasal cannula or mechanical ventilation) to maintain adequate oxygen saturations during hospitalization. Predictive factors for severe COVID-19 infection were analyzed.
RESULTS: During study period, there were 207 patients (79 male and 128 female) and the mean age was 46.7 (16.8) years. Of these, 39 cases (18.8%) were severe and 168 (81.2%) cases were non-severe. Eleven patients were intubated, 14 received high flow nasal cannula and 14 received non-rebreather face mask. Factors associated with severe COVID-19 were neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio ≥ 4 (OR 8.1, 95%CI 2.3-20.3, P < 0.001) and C-reactive protein to albumin ratio ≥ 10 (OR 3.5, 95%CI 1.3-9.1, p 0.01).
CONCLUSIONS: Complete blood counts, C-reactive protein and albumin are simple, inexpensive, widely available tests and can be used to predict severe COVID-19 in resource-limited settings.
CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: The findings of this study indicate that the integration of NLR and CRP may lead to improved prediction and are early markers to assess prognosis and evaluate the severity of clinical symptoms in COVID-19 patients.
DISCLOSURE: Nothing to declare.
KEYWORD: predictor of severity, COVID-19