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Red Blood Cell Distribution Width and Pediatric Community-Acquired Pneumonia Disease Severity
Jaclyn Lee1, Yuwei Zhu2, Derek J Williams3
1Vanderbilt University School of Medicine.
Hospital Pediatrics
|August 3, 2022
Summary
Higher red blood cell distribution width (RDW) levels in children indicate an increased risk of severe community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). This inexpensive measure can aid clinical assessment for pediatric CAP severity.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Medicine
- Clinical Diagnostics
- Pulmonology
Background:
- Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in children lacks a standardized risk assessment tool.
- Red blood cell distribution width (RDW) is a readily available blood test parameter.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between red blood cell distribution width (RDW) and the severity of pediatric CAP.
- To determine if RDW can serve as a predictive marker for severe pediatric CAP.
Main Methods:
- Prospective data from 1459 pediatric patients with confirmed CAP were analyzed.
- Red blood cell distribution width (RDW) values on admission were assessed in quintiles and as a continuous variable.
- Multivariable logistic regression and restricted cubic splines modeled the association between RDW and CAP severity (moderate vs. severe).
Main Results:
- Higher RDW levels were associated with an increased risk of severe CAP.
- A nonlinear, positive association was observed between RDW and CAP severity, with risk increasing up to RDW values of 15% (P = .027).
- The adjusted odds ratio for severe CAP increased with higher RDW quintiles, particularly in the fourth quintile.
Conclusions:
- Elevated presenting RDW is linked to a higher risk of severe CAP in hospitalized children.
- RDW is an inexpensive and objective biomarker that can assist clinicians in assessing pediatric CAP severity.
- Further research may validate RDW as a component of pediatric CAP risk stratification tools.
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