Predictive accuracy of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio on severity and outcomes in COVID-19 patients: A retrospective study

Nikhil Victor D'Souza's, H. Haroon, Vishak Acharya, Bhaskaran Unnikrishnan, Prasanna Mithra, Chrystle Mascarenhas, Navjot Singh Dhillon, Alex Tom

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Background/Aims: Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is a proven marker in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) severity and mortality. However, the utility of a sequential NLR 2 (on day 5) in comparison to baseline NLR in predicting clinical outcomes and severity remains largely unexplored. Methods: This was a hospital-based retrospective observational study. Results: Higher mortality (19.9% vs. 48%) and a more severe disease (14.8% vs. 21%) were observed with elevated NLR 1 and NLR 2, respectively. NLR 2 at a cutoff of 9.88 was a better predictor of mortality, when compared to NLR 1 at 5.67, and NLR 2 has a strong correlation with mortality rates in COVID-19. Conclusion: Our study demonstrated that NLR 1 and NLR 2 were more reliable predictors of mortality than disease severity; in comparison, NLR 2 is a more accurate predictor of mortality than NLR 1. The study unravels the potential role of a sequential NLR 2, to have a better correlation in predicting the clinical severity and outcomes. The potential role of NLR 2 in assessing the interim progression of the disease and thereby initiating specific interventions at critical junctures to influence the outcome is unveiled and merits exploration in detail by larger studies.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)S15-S20
JournalJournal of Datta Meghe Institute of Medical Sciences University
Volume17
Issue number5
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 08-2022

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Medicine(all)

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