Índice neutrófilo/linfocito como predictor temprano de mortalidad por COVID-19, Hospital General Riobamba Instituto Ecuatoriano de Seguridad Social enero – junio 2021.

Abstract

This study aimed to validate the Neutrophil-Lymphocyte Ratio as an early predictor of Covid-19 mortality at the Riobamba General Hospital of the Ecuadorian Social Security Institute during the period January to June 2021. Using the AS 400 system where the electronic medical records of patients treated during this period are stored. The research type was descriptive and correlational. The design employed was cross-sectional, non-experimental, and retrospective in a population of 261 hospitalized patients. Sociodemographic characteristics such as age, gender, ethnicity, weight, height, and Body Mass Index (BMI) were considered. Among the analyzed biomarkers were Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR), Lactate Dehydrogenase (LDH), Ferritin, D-dimer, Interleukin-6 (IL-6), Procalcitonin, and the Neutrophil-Lymphocyte Ratio. Upon analyzing the obtained data, this research demonstrated that the Neutrophil-Lymphocyte Ratio was not a useful biomarker as an early predictor for mortality in Covid-19 patients. In contrast, other biomarkers such as PCR and IL-6 showed a higher predictive capacity for mortality. It can be concluded that in daily clinical practice, the use of biomarkers should be an additional tool to the clinical judgment of professionals, rather than a sole and isolated criterion for establishing the prognosis of the disease.