Efficacy of the delta neutrophil index in predicting 30‐day mortality in COVID‐19 patients requiring intensive care

Birben, Birkan; Birben, Ozlem Duvenci; Akın, Tezcan; Akkurt, Gokhan; Surel, Aziz Ahmet; Yakısık, Esra; Erdem, Deniz

OBJECTIVES: Coronavirus‐19 is a rapidly progressing disease that can result in mortality. We aimed to evaluate the efficacy of the delta neutrophil index in predicting mortality in intensive care patients diagnosed with Coronavirus‐19. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients with a positive polymerase chain reaction test and/or computed tomography findings compatible with the disease were included in the study. The demographic characteristics of the patients, polymerase chain reaction test results, chest computed tomography findings, blood parameters at the time of presentation, 30‐day mortality, and the number of days in the intensive care unit were assessed. RESULTS: Of the 388 patients receiving intensive care, 220 (56.7%) were men and 168 (43.3%) were women. The mean age was 70 ± 15 years. The evaluation of mortality, 264 (68%) of the patients survived and 124 (32%) died. The delta neutrophil index, neutrophil lymphocyte ratio, lactate, interleukin‐6 and C‐reactive protein values were statistically significantly higher and the lymphocyte value was significantly lower in the mortality group (P = .003, .034, .000, .002, .000 and .024, respectively). In the receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, the area under the curve values of the delta neutrophil index, lymphocyte, neutrophil lymphocyte ratio, lactate, interleukin‐6 and C‐reactive protein levels in predicting mortality were 0.718, 0.416, 0.628, 0.585, 0.701 and 0.684, respectively. CONCLUSION: We consider that the delta neutrophil index can be used as an effective prognostic parameter to show intensive care mortality in patients with Coronavirus‐19.