Prognostic Value of Immune-Inflammatory Index in PSI IV-V Patients with COVID-19

Objective. Respiratory failure is the leading cause of mortality in COVID-19 patients, characterized by a generalized disbalance of inflammation. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between immune-inflammatory index and mortality in PSI IV-V patients with COVID-19. Methods. We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of COVID-19 patients from Feb. to Apr. 2020 in the Zhongfa Xincheng Branch of Tongji Hospital, Wuhan, China. Patients who presented high severity of COVID-19-related pneumonia were enrolled for further analysis according to the Pneumonia Severity Index (PSI) tool. Results. A total of 101 patients diagnosed with COVID-19 were identified at initial research. The survival analysis revealed that mortality of the PSI IV-V cohort was significantly higher than the PSI I-III group ( p = 0.0003 ). The overall mortality in PSI IV-V patients was 32.1% (9/28). The fatal cases of the PSI IV-V group had a higher level of procalcitonin ( p = 0.022 ) and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio ( p = 0.033 ) compared with the survivors. Procalcitonin was the most sensitive predictor of mortality for the severe COVID-19 population with area under receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.78, higher than the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (0.75) and total lymphocyte (0.68) and neutrophil (0.67) counts. Conclusion. Procalcitonin and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio may potentially be effective predictors for mortality in PSI IV-V patients with COVID-19. Increased procalcitonin and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio were associated with greater risk of mortality.