Does procalcitonin play a role as a predictor of in-hospital mortality among COVID-19 patients admitted to intensive care unit?

Introduction: Inflammatory response plays a key role in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) as it has been shown that the resulting cytokine storm increases its severity. Objectives: To investigate the role of procalcitonin (PCT) as a predictor of in-hospital mortality in patients with severe to critical COVID-19. Patients and Methods: In a retrospective cohort study, 150 patients with severe to critical COVID-19 consecutively admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) were investigated. Patients’ demographics, clinical and laboratory findings, and PCT level were collected upon their admission to the hospital and from the disease outcome data. Results: Of the 150 patients who entered the study, 77 were discharged alive from the hospital. The mean age of the patients was 60.9 ±16.3 years and 51.3% of them were male. The mean PCT level was significantly higher in the deceased patients than in survivors (2.4 ± 3.4 versus 0.7±1.3, P<0.005). The logistic regression analysis indicated that PCT, creatinine and urea levels were independently associated with in-hospital mortality. Conclusion: Serum PCT levels are associated with in-hospital mortality in COVID-19 patients admitted to ICU and could be used as a simple tool to predict adverse outcomes and expedite timely and appropriate interventions.