Abstract

Objective: To determine effective factors for predicting mortality and prognosis of COVID-19 pneumonia. We aimed to evaluate the efficacy of D-dimer, lymphocyte count, D-dimer/lymphocyte ratio (DLR), and confusion, uremia, respiratory rate, blood pressure, age ≥65 years (CURB-65) score in predicting 30-day mortality and prognosis.

Materials and Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 248 patients with COVID-19 pneumonia presenting. Age, gender, complaint, history of chronic disease, reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction results, D-dimer levels, lymphocyte count, DLR, and CURB-65 scores were recorded, and receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was performed to predict 30-day mortality.

Results: It was found that the CURB-65 score, D-dimer level, lymphocyte count, and DLR value at the time of admission were significant predictors of mortality within 30 days (p<0.001). In the receiver operating characteristic analysis for the diagnostic value of the CURB-65 score and DLR for 30- day mortality, the area under the curve value for the CURB-65 and DLR were 0.862 and 0.82, respectively (p<0.001). The median CURB-65, D-dimer, lymphocyte count, and DLR of patients who required intensive care unit were significantly different (p<0.001).

Conclusion: In patients with COVID-19 pneumonia, CURB-65 score, DLR level, and disease severity are correlated at the time of presentation to the emergency department. Our study is the first to compare the correlation. We found that a positive correlation between biomarkers may be helpful for assessing mortality and prognosis and predicting the need for ICU in patients with COVID-19 pneumonia.