Sefer ASLAN, Serhat DOĞAN, Ayşe Şahin TUTAK, Ersin KULOĞLU
Annals of Clinical and Analytical Medicine - 2026;17(4):329-333
Aim: This study aims to determine the clinical and laboratory parameters that can predict mortality in COVID-19 patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) in the Adıyaman region of Turkey. By identifying significant prognostic markers, the study seeks to support early risk stratification and informed clinical decision-making to improve patient outcomes in ICU settings. Methods: This retrospective observational study included 66 adult patients (>=18 years) diagnosed with COVID-19 and treated in the ICU. The diagnosis was confirmed by real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) testing of nasopharyngeal swabs. Clinical and laboratory data were obtained from electronic medical records. Patients were followed until December 31, 2020, and were categorized into survivor and non-survivor groups based on outcomes during hospitalization. Results: Among the 66 patients, 33 (50%) were male and 33 (50%) were female. Thirteen patients (19.6%) died during the follow-up period. Compared to survivors, non-survivors had significantly higher red cell distribution width (RDW) (14.6+/-3.1 vs. 12.6+/-1.7; p = 0.01), neutrophil count (10,026+/-5594 vs. 6831+/-4706; p = 0.04), and creatinine levels (6.8+/-2.07 vs. 1.5+/-0.2; p = 0.01). Conclusion: The study findings indicate that elevated RDW, neutrophil counts, and creatinine levels are significantly associated with mortality in COVID-19 patients. These parameters may serve as useful prognostic markers for clinicians in assessing the severity of illness and guiding therapeutic decisions in ICU settings.
