ABSTRACT
Introduction: Acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) is the sudden worsening of symptoms of COPD like shortness of breath, increased quantity and color of sputum, and systemic inflammation, and has a significant impact on survival. Biomarkers such as high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) and procalcitonin have been studied in AECOPD patients as prognostic markers. Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) are two new inflammatory markers and play a significant role in prognosis in patients with AECOPD. NLR and PLR are easily available and cost-effective markers and have the potential for helping in the risk stratification of hospitalized AECOPD patients. Aim: Study of inflammatory markers in COPD and their correlation with clinical outcome. Methods: A prospective observational comparative study was conducted on 100 patients of COPD at the Department of General Medicine, Vardhman Mahavir Medical College and Safdarjung Hospital, New Delhi, and all necessary investigations were done. Results: A total of 100 patients of COPD were taken, 50 patients were in a stable state (controls) and the same number of patients were in an acute exacerbation state (cases). Mean levels of NLR, hsCRP, and procalcitonin in cases were significantly higher as compared to controls whereas levels of PLR in cases and controls were comparable with no significant difference between them. Levels of both of these inflammatory markers (NLR and PLR) were positively correlated with levels of hsCRP and levels of procalcitonin. Of the total 50 patients, 23 (56.00%) patients needed mechanical ventilation and 11 (22%) needed inotropic support. Only 6 out of 50 patients (12.00%) died. Levels of NLR and PLR were positively correlated with the duration of hospitalization. Levels of NLR and PLR were not significantly associated with the need of inotropic support and mortality, levels of NLR were also not significantly associated with the need of mechanical ventilation whereas levels of PLR were significantly higher in patients who required mechanical ventilation. Conclusion: Levels of NLR were raised in patients with AECOPD (cases) than stable state COPD patients (controls). So levels of NLR can be used as a marker to predict acute exacerbation and there was a positive correlation of NLR and PLR with levels of hsCRP and procalcitonin.
ABSTRACT
Background: Prevalence of complications in malaria continues to grow even with reducing number of malaria cases. Complications associated with malaria can involve multiple organs. There is paucity of literature on factors associated with multi organ dysfunction in different types of malaria.Methods: Our aim was to study the clinical profile of complications in different types of malaria with specific focus on multi-organ dysfunction (MODS). In this cross-sectional study confirmed cases of malaria were enrolled.Results: Plasmodium vivax malaria was the predominant type seen in 74.1% cases. The overall prevalence of thrombocytopenia was 61.5%, hepatic dysfunction 58%, cerebral malaria 16.1%, Hypoglycemia 7.5%, bleeding 34.5%, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) 5.7% and acute kidney injury (AKI) 49.4%. Hypoglycemia was significantly higher in mixed malaria (0.025, p = 0.025). Hepatic dysfunction and hyperbilirubinemia were significantly higher in mixed malaria (p=0.001). Mortality was seen in mixed malaria (p = 0.007). Only those with mixed malaria died (13%). Patients with MODS had higher prevalence of rashes (p <0.0001) and cerebral malaria (p = 0.000). Serum levels of urea, creatinine, Bilirubin, Serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (SGOT) and Serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase (SGPT) were significantly higher in patients with MODS (p<0.0001 for all variables). On evaluating factors associated with multi-organ dysfunction presence of cerebral malaria [OR: 6.4 (95% CI): 2.4 to 17.4; p<0.0001], type of malaria (Vivax or Falciparum or both) [1.77 (1.03 to 3.03); p=0.0038], and hypoglycemia [4.4 (1.08 to 17.8); p=0.038] were statistically significant on multivariate analysis.Conclusions: The present study demonstrates the factors associated with multi organ dysfunction and its impact on clinical outcome in different types of malaria.