Prognostic Value of Plateletcrit in Acute Exacerbations of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Aim: Acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is an important cause for admission to the emergency departments (EDs). The search for appropriate biomarkers for the determination of prognosis in these patients is still ongoing. The prognostic value of platelet activation markers such as plateletcrit (PCT) has been shown in various inflammatory diseases. COPD acute exacerbation is a condition in which both systemic inflammation and thrombotic events occur. In this study, we aimed to investigate the prognostic value of plateletcrit, which reflects the total platelet volume in acute exacerbations of COPD. Materials and Methods: In this retrospective diagnostic/prognostic study, all patients who were admitted to the critical care area of our emergency department (ED) with COPD exacerbation were included between January 2015 and January 2020. The primary outcome (reference test) was determined as a composite outcome consisting of ICU admission and 30-day mortality. Results: 282 patients were included in our study. PCT and CRP were found to be significantly higher in patients with the composite outcome. In the ROC analysis, the area under the curve (AUC) values of PCT and CRP were found to be ; 0.975 (95% CI; 0.956 to 0.994), 0.984 (95% CI;0.972 to 0.995). Conclusion: According to our results, we think that PCT may be a good prognostic indicator in acute exacerbations of COPD, at least as much as CRP. It can provide additional information about prognosis when used together with clinical parameters.