Mid-Regional pro-Adrenomedullin (MR-proADM), C-Reactive Protein (CRP) and Other Biomarkers in the Early Identification of Disease Progression in COVID-19 Patients in the Acute NHS Setting

ABSTRACT

AimsThere is a lack of biomarkers validated for assessing clinical deterioration in COVID-19 patients upon presentation to secondary or tertiary care. This evaluation looked at the potential clinical application of C-Reactive Protein, Procalcitonin, Mid-Regional pro-adrenomedullin (MR-proADM) and White Cell Count to support prediction of clinical outcomes. Methods135 patients presenting to Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust between April and June 2020 confirmed to have COVID-19 via RT-qPCR were included. Biomarkers from within 24 hours of admission were used to predict disease progression by Cox regression and area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) curves. The endpoints assessed were 30-day all-cause mortality, intubation and ventilation, critical care admission and non-invasive ventilation (NIV) use. ResultsElevated MR-proADM was shown to have the greatest ability to predict 30-day mortality adjusting for age, cardiovascular, renal and neurological disease. A significant association was also noted between raised MR-proADM and CRP concentrations and the requirement for critical care admission and non-invasive ventilation. ConclusionsThe measurement of MR-proADM and CRP in patients with confirmed COVID-19 infection upon admission shows significant potential to support clinicians in identifying those at increased risk of disease progression and need for higher level care, subsequently enabling prompt escalation in clinical interventions.