World Neurosurg. 2023 Apr 28:S1878-8750(23)00583-1. doi: 10.1016/j.wneu.2023.04.097. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is a simple, cost-effective index of inflammation that can be measured by peripheral blood count. This study aimed to reveal that a high NLR value could be a prognostic marker for mortality risk in preterm babies born with IVH.
METHODS: Preterm babies who had been followed up in the neonatal ICU between 2018 and 2020 were included in the study. These patients were examined in 2 groups, those who had had IVH and those who had not. The patients were evaluated by the week of birth, gender, first-minute APGAR score and NLR obtained from the first postnatal peripheral blood sample.
RESULTS: A total of 113 babies had been born preterm and had been treated in the NICU were included in the study. IVH was observed in 26 (23%) of the infants, and a total of 14 (12.4%) died, with the mortality rate being higher among those with IVH than those without (p=0.026). There was also a statistically significant difference in the NLR between infants with IVH who died and those who did not (p<0.001). NLR above 1.5 had 33.7 times higher risk of mortality compared to those with an NLR of 1.5 or below.
CONCLUSIONS: This was the first study to examine the relationship between the NLR and mortality in preterm babies with IVH. This study showed that a high NLR was strongly associated with mortality in premature infants with low APGAR scores and having IVH.
PMID:37121506 | DOI:10.1016/j.wneu.2023.04.097
