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Utility of Hematological and Biochemical Parameters as a Screening Tool for Assessing Coronavirus Disease 2019
Sana Alam1, Sabina Khan2, Vineet Jain3
1Department of Biochemistry, Hamdard Institute of Medical Science and Research, Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi, India.
Insights
Monitoring hematological and biochemical markers like neutrophil and lymphocyte counts, urea, and protein levels can help identify severe COVID-19 cases early. This aids in timely intervention and potentially improves patient outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Clinical Medicine
- Hematology
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) presents with variable clinical severity.
- Identifying cost-effective biomarkers for prognosis is crucial for timely intervention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze biochemical and hematological parameters in COVID-19 patients.
- To associate these parameters with disease severity.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional observational study of 100 COVID-19 patients.
- Patients were grouped into mild-moderate (SpO2 ≥90%) and severe (SpO2 <90%) categories.
- Hematological and biochemical parameters were analyzed for association with severity.
Main Results:
- Severe COVID-19 cases showed significantly higher absolute neutrophil count and lower absolute lymphocyte count.
- Biochemical analysis revealed increased urea and decreased total protein in severe cases.
- Males were predominant in both mild-moderate and severe groups.
Conclusions:
- Early identification and monitoring of specific hematological and biochemical parameters are associated with COVID-19 severity.
- These markers may contribute to improved disease outcomes and patient management.
Background:
The rapidly evolving pandemic of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has presented with clinical severity, which varies from asymptomatic cases to being fatal in others. The need of the hour is to find meaningful and cost-effective COVID-19 biomarkers out of conventional hematological and biochemical parameters, which will help in the early identification of patients with a poor prognosis, leading to timely intervention.
Aim:
The aim was to analyze different biochemical and hematological parameters in COVID-19 patients and also to study the association of these parameters with disease severity.
Materials And Methods:
Cross-sectional observational study was carried out on 100 COVID-19 patients from a hospital from July to October 2020. Based on saturation of oxygen (SpO2), admitted patients were grouped into mild-moderate (SpO2 ≥90%) and severe groups (SpO2 <90%). Hematological and biochemical parameters were studied in both groups, and association with disease severity was analyzed.
Results:
Out of 100 patients, 57 patients were seen in the mild-moderate group (SpO2 ≥90%), while 43 patients (SpO2 <90%) belonged to the severe category. Males were predominant in both mild-moderate and severe groups. Among the hematological parameters, statistically significant higher values of absolute neutrophil count (P = 0.046) and significantly lower absolute lymphocyte count (P = 0.003) values were observed. With regard to biochemical parameters, increased urea and decreased total protein were found in the severe category and this association was statistically significant.
Conclusion:
To conclude, early identification and monitoring of hematological and biochemical parameters, especially those associated with higher disease severity, may contribute toward improving disease outcomes.
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