A prognostic inflammatory and nutritional index scoring critically ill patients

Area of Science:

• Biochemistry
• Clinical Medicine
• Medical Diagnostics

Background:

• Effective patient follow-up requires accurate assessment of both inflammatory and nutritional status.
• Existing methods for evaluating critically ill patients have limitations in sensitivity and scope.
• The phlogistic reaction and nutritional status are key indicators of patient prognosis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel prognostic index for monitoring diverse pathological conditions.
• To identify reliable blood markers for assessing inflammatory and nutritional status.
• To create a simple, accurate, and cost-effective tool for risk stratification in critically ill patients.

Main Methods:

• Discriminant analysis of eleven blood markers related to inflammation and nutrition.
• Selection of key acute-phase reactants (orosomucoid, C-reactive protein) and visceral proteins (albumin, prealbumin).
• Development of a simple formula and micromethod for calculating the prognostic index.

Main Results:

• The new index accurately stratifies critically ill patients based on risk of complications or death.
• The scoring system integrates both infectious and nutritional aspects of disease.
• The micromethod is rapid, inexpensive, and provides a self-explanatory grading scale.

Conclusions:

• The developed index offers a more sensitive tool for diagnosing and prognosing stressed patients compared to existing methods.
• This novel index facilitates correct follow-up across a wide range of pathological conditions.
• The combination of inflammatory and nutritional markers provides a comprehensive assessment of patient risk.