Low Skeletal Muscle Area at the T12 Paravertebral Level as a Prognostic Marker for Community-Acquired Pneumonia

This study aimed to investigate whether the dorsal skeletal muscle area at 12th thoracic level (T12SMA) could be used as a predictor of in-hospital mortality and long-term survival among patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP).

A retrospective study was conducted on 1701 CAP patients who underwent chest computed tomography (CT) examinations at the First Hospital of Qinhuangdao. The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality. The T12SMA was analyzed. Multivariate regression logistic models were constructed to identify the prognostic markers of hospital mortality. Cox regression logistic models were constructed to identify the risk factors of long-term survival.

The multiple logistic regression analysis showed that T12SMA [odds ratio (OR) = 0.946; p = 0.007], CURB-65 (OR = 1.521; p = 0.008), creatinine (OR = 1.003; p = 0.001), albumin (OR = 0.908; p = 0.001) and intensive care unit (ICU) (OR = 2.715; p = 0.007) were independent risk factors for predicting the in-hospital mortality. The cox regression logistic analysis showed that T12SMA (OR = 0.968; p = 0.000), age (OR= 1.036; p = 0.000), sex (OR= 1.435; p = 0.002), CURB-65 (OR = 1.311; p = 0.000), albumin (OR = 0.952; p = 0.000), creatinine (OR = 1.002; p = 0.000) and ICU (OR = 1.606; p = 0.001) were prognostic markers of long-term survival.

T12SMA, CURB-65, creatinine, albumin and ICU were independent risk factors for in-hospital mortality among patients with CAP. And low T12SMA affected the in-hospital mortality and long-term survival of patients with CAP.