Abstract

Objectives:

Pulmonary embolism (PE) is a challenging disease as the third most common cause of cardiovascular death. Despite various scoring systems and blood parameters have been developed, more simple and practical predictors are being investigated. The objective of this study is to investigate the relationship between hospital and long-term mortality and complete blood count parameters, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) in patients with acute PE.
 

Methods:

The present study is a single-center retrospective observational study. Between June 2016 and June 2018, patients hospitalised with evident PE were included. Demographics and baseline laboratory vaues were recorded. In-hospital mortality and long-term mortality were investigated and predictors of mortality were analyzed.
 

Results:

Of all the 74 pateints, 36 (49%) were male and the mean age was 65±18 (20-89). Embolus was localised in the main pulmonary arteries in 51% of the pateints. Right heart dysfunction were noted in 8 (10%) patients. Six (8%) patients had died in hospital and in a median follow-up of 12±7 months, 11 (15%) patients died. Baseline NLR was significantly higher in patients who died in hospital (9.8±7.1 vs. 5.3±4.8, respectively) (p=0.037). Additionally NLR was found as a predictor of long-term mortality (p=0.047). Th other predictors for long-term mortality were male gender (p=0.002), advanced age (p=0.023) and lower hemoglobin (p=0.013) values.
 

Conclusion:

PE may lead mortality and require close follow-up of patients. High NLR values relate both in-hospital and long-term mortality and may be used as a cheap, simple and useful prognostic predictor in pateints with PE.