Utilidad de los parámetros de laboratorio en el pronóstico de los pacientes ingresados por COVID-19

Background: in the current coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the availability of predictors for severity is a priority. Factors related to severe and fatal forms were studied in patients hospitalized with COVID-19. Material and methods: laboratory parameters, clinical and demographic data of 133 patients admitted by COVID-19 were retrospectively analyzed. A comparison of variables was made according to two criteria: severity and mortality. The variables with statistical significance were analyzed using binary logistic regression, obtaining the predictive parameters of poor prognosis and mortality corrected for the rest of the variables. Results: 28.6 % of the 133 patients in the study were admitted to the ICU and 12.8 % died. In the univariate analysis, the risk factors for severe disease were: increased LDH, AST, CRP (C-reactive protein) and presence of obesity (BMI > 30 kg/m²), in the multivariate analysis LDH and obesity were the independent risk factors for severe disease. Regarding the factors related to death: the decrease in the platelet count, the increase in LDH and CRP, obesity and type 2 diabetes were associated with an increased risk of death. Obesity and the count of platelets remained independent risk factors for death in the multivariate analysis. Conclusions: our study shows the importance of the laboratory in the prognosis of these patients. Several parameters show significant differences in the group comparison and in univariate regressions. LDH is postulated as the best independent prognostic marker.