Prognostic and diagnostic values of neutrophillymphocyte count and percentage in covid-19 patients

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Markers that predict the need for intensive care unite of COVID-19 patients may reduce disease-related mortality. The aim of study is to evaluate diagnostic value of neutrophil-lymphocyte count and percentage in predicting intensive care requirement and mortality. METHODS: The study included 141 patients followed-up/treated for COVID-19 in Sivas Numune Hospital and 63 healthy controls. In the patient group, 65 people were treated as outpatients but, 76 patients needed intensive care. 30 of patients in intensive care unite did not survive. Blood count, CRP, and ferritin values were obtained retrospectively. Performance of markers in predicting the need for intensive care was evaluated by regression analysis and ROC curves. RESULTS: Lymphocyte count, neutrophil-lymphocyte percentage, CRP and ferritin concentrations showed significant differences for all groups (p<0.05), but there was no difference between intensive care patients and mortal cases. While lymphocyte count and percentage were low in mortal cases, other parameters were higher. In the linear regression analysis, lymphocyte percentage, CRP, and ferritin values were found to have significance in predicting the need for intensive care for patient group (p<0.05). In the ROC analysis, the areas under the curve for these parameters were found to be 0.907, 0.859, and 0.842, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Since there was no significant difference between intensive care patients and dead cases, we could not determine a parameter to distinguish between two groups. However, evaluation of lymphocyte percentage, CRP, and ferritin values together can be used to predict intensive care requirements in COVID-19 patients.