Acute and Critical Care

Original Article

Pulmonary
Increased red cell distribution width predicts mortality in COVID-19 patients admitted to a Dutch intensive care unit: Anthony D. Mompiere, Jos L.M.L. le Noble, Manon Fleuren-Janssen, Kelly Broen, Frits van Osch, Norbert Foudraine; Acute Crit Care. 2024;39(3):359-368. Published online August 22, 2024; DOI: https://doi.org/10.4266/acc.2023.01137

Abstract PDF: Background
Abnormal red blood cell distribution width (RDW) is associated with poor cardiovascular, respiratory, and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outcomes. However, whether RDW provides prognostic insights regarding COVID-19 patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) was unknown. Here, we retrospectively investigated the association of RDW with 30-day and 90- day mortalities, duration of mechanical ventilation, and length of ICU and hospital stay in patients with COVID-19. Methods: This study included 321 patients with COVID-19 aged >18 years who were admitted to the ICU between March 2020 and July 2022. The outcomes were mortality, duration of mechanical ventilation, and length of stay. RDW >14.5% was assessed in blood samples within 24 hours of admission. Results: The mortality rate was 30.5%. Multivariable Cox regression analysis showed an association between increased RDW and 30-day mortality (hazard ratio [HR], 3.64; 95% CI, 1.54–8.65), 90-day mortality (HR, 3.66; 95% CI, 1.59–8.40), and shorter duration of invasive ventilation (2.7 ventilator-free days, P=0.033). Conclusions: Increased RDW in COVID-19 patients at ICU admission was associated with increased 30-day and 90-day mortalities, and shorter duration of invasive ventilation. Thus, RDW can be used as a surrogate biomarker for clinical outcomes in COVID-19 patients admitted to the ICU.

Letter to the Editor

Pulmonary
Inhaled iloprost can improve oxygenation and shunt fraction in severe COVID-19: Christiaan M.C. Serbanescu-Kele Apor de Zalán, Norbert A. Foudraine, Jos L.M.L. Le Noble; Acute Crit Care. 2022;37(1):127-130. Published online February 22, 2022; DOI: https://doi.org/10.4266/acc.2021.01263

Search