Abstract
Aims: This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of the serum lactate/albumin ratio (LAR) as a prognostic marker in patients with ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) who are hospitalized in the intensive care unit (ICU). Methods: This single-center retrospective observational clinical study was conducted between January 1, 2022, and October 1, 2024. The study group comprised 58 patients admitted to the ICUs of Malatya Training and Research Hospital, Turkiye, with intubation but without a diagnosis of pneumonia at the time of admission. These patients were diagnosed with VAP 48 hours after intubation. The serum LAR was calculated within the first 24 hours after admission to the ICU and correlated with mortality and morbidity. Results: The mean age of the patients was 68 years, with the majority being over 65 years of age. Of the 58 patients included in the study, 43 (74.1%) ultimately succumbed to their illness. The LAR of those who died in the study was significantly higher than that of those who survived. The LAR was identified as a reliable predictor, exhibiting a sensitivity of 83.7% and a specificity of 60% when a cutoff value of 1.13 was applied. The survival time of patients with a LAR of ≤1.13 was significantly longer than that of patients with a ratio of >1.13. Conclusion: In our study, the mortality prediction performance of the LAR in patients with VAP was superior to that of the serum lactate level or serum albumin level alone. Therefore, the LAR may be a useful and readily available prognostic factor for early risk stratification of VAP patients.
Published Version
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