Zhong-Hua Wang1, Ying-Wen Lin2,3, Xue-Biao Wei1, Fei Li4, Xiao-Long Liao1, Hui-Qing Yuan5, Dao-Zheng Huang1, Tie-He Qin1, Heng Geng6, Shou-Hong Wang1. 1. Department of Critical Care Medicine, Guangdong Provincial Geriatrics Institute, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, China. 2. Department of Cardiology, Guangdong Cardiovascular Institute, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Coronary Heart Disease Prevention, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, China. 3. Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, China. 4. Emergency Department, The First People's Hospital of Jingzhou, Jingzhou, China. 5. Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, The First People's Hospital of Shaoguan, Shaoguan, China. 6. Department of Critical Care Medicine, The First People's Hospital of Jingzhou, Jingzhou, China.
Abstract
Background: The prognostic nutritional index (PNI) has been described as a simple risk-stratified tool for several diseases. We explored the predictive role of the PNI on coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) severity. Methods: A total of 101 patients with COVID-19 were included in this retrospective study from January 2020 to March 2020. They were divided into two groups according to COVID-19 severity: non-critical (n = 56) and critical (n = 45). The PNI was calculated upon hospital admission: 10 × serum albumin (g/dL) + 0.005 × total lymphocyte count (/mm3). Critical COVID-19 was defined as having one of the following features: respiratory failure necessitating mechanical ventilation; shock; organ dysfunction necessitating admission to the intensive care unit (ICU). The correlation between the PNI with COVID-19 severity was analyzed. Results: The PNI was significantly lower in critically ill than that in non-critically ill patients (P < 0.001). The receiver operating characteristic curve indicated that the PNI was a good discrimination factor for identifying COVID-19 severity (P < 0.001). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed the PNI to be an independent risk factor for critical illness due to COVID-19 (P = 0.002). Conclusions: The PNI is a valuable biomarker that could be used to discriminate COVID-19 severity.
Background: The prognostic nutritional index (PNI) has been described as a simple risk-stratified tool for several diseases. We explored the predictive role of the PNI on coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) severity. Methods: A total of 101 patients with COVID-19 were included in this retrospective study from January 2020 to March 2020. They were divided into two groups according to COVID-19 severity: non-critical (n = 56) and critical (n = 45). The PNI was calculated upon hospital admission: 10 × serum albumin (g/dL) + 0.005 × total lymphocyte count (/mm3). Critical COVID-19 was defined as having one of the following features: respiratory failure necessitating mechanical ventilation; shock; organ dysfunction necessitating admission to the intensive care unit (ICU). The correlation between the PNI with COVID-19 severity was analyzed. Results: The PNI was significantly lower in critically ill than that in non-critically illpatients (P < 0.001). The receiver operating characteristic curve indicated that the PNI was a good discrimination factor for identifying COVID-19 severity (P < 0.001). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed the PNI to be an independent risk factor for critical illness due to COVID-19 (P = 0.002). Conclusions: The PNI is a valuable biomarker that could be used to discriminate COVID-19 severity.