Evaluation of the Relationship between Hematological Parameters and Clinical Outcomes in COVID-19 Patients Hospitalized in Imam Hassan Hospital of Bojnurd, Iran, April-August 2021

Introduction: The present study investigated the relationship between hematological parameters and clinical outcomes in COVID-19 patients. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out on 293 adult patients with COVID-19 hospitalized in Imam Hassan Hospital (Bojnurd, Iran), and less than three days had passed since the onset of COVID-19 symptoms. Patients information, including demographic information, clinical characteristics, and clinical outcomes, were obtained from electronic medical records. The results related to the complete blood count test for each patient were also recorded. Results: The median age of patients was 53 years, and 147(50.17%) were female. Thirty-seven patients were admitted to the ICU, and 42 patients died. The average of hematological parameters, except neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), in COVID-19 patients were within the normal range. We found that values of white blood cell count (WBC), NLR, and PLR in patients who died or were admitted to the ICU were significantly higher than in patients who were not admitted to ICU (P˂0.05). Moreover, our results indicated hemoglobin, hematocrit, and ESR levels were lower in patients who died than in patients who were not admitted to ICU (P˂0.05). No significant relationship was found between hematological parameters and the length of hospital stay in patients with COVID-19 (P˃0.05). Conclusion: The obtained results suggest that increased values of some hematological parameters, including WBC, NLR, and PLR, at the time of admission might predict poor clinical outcomes in COVID-19 patients