Evaluating the Utility of Complete Blood Count-Derived Inflammatory Indices for Predicting Clinical Outcomes in Earthquake-Related Crush Injuries: The 2023 Turkey-Syria Earthquake.

Abstract

Objective: Earthquakes cause significant mortality and morbidity, particularly through crush injuries and their complications. This study aimed to evaluate whether systemic immune inflammation index (SII) and Pan-immune inflammatory values (PIV) obtained from complete blood count parameters can predict intensive care needs, dialysis requirements, and mortality in patients with crush injuries following earthquake.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed data from 76 patients with crush injuries admitted to a university hospital following the earthquake. Blood samples were collected upon admission. SII and PIV were calculated and compared with conventional laboratory markers for their ability to predict clinical outcomes.

Results: Intensive care unit (ICU) admission was required in 40.8% of patients, and 21.1% required dialysis. In ROC analysis, an SII value above 1372 predicted ICU admission with 67.7% sensitivity and 66.7% specificity (P < .001), while an SII value above 1735 predicted dialysis requirement with 75.0% sensitivity and 73.3% specificity (P < .001). Similarly, a PIV value above 1345 predicted ICU admission with 74.2% sensitivity and 73.3% specificity (P < .001), and a value above 1906 predicted dialysis requirement with 81.3% sensitivity and 78.3% specificity (P < .001).

Conclusions: Complete blood count-derived inflammatory markers may serve as accessible, early indicators to complement clinical assessment for resource allocation following earthquake-related crush injuries, particularly in resource-limited disaster settings. These tools may aid in patient triage and care planning when comprehensive laboratory testing is limited.