Comparison of Platelet-to-Lymphocyte Ratio at Different COVID-19 Severity in Adam Malik Hospital, Medan, Indonesia

Abstract

Introduction. Several inflammatory indicators such as neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and lymphopenia have shown an inflammatory response of COVID-19. Nevertheless, not much research has been done in Indonesia. This study aims to determine the difference between PLR and severity of COVID-19 disease in Adam Malik Hospital, Medan. Method. A retrospective study was conducted from September 2020 to February 2021 to analyze the medical records of patients with confirmed COVID-19. Patients' clinical severity was categorized according to the criteria of WHO. PLR is calculated by dividing the platelet count by the lymphocyte count obtained from a complete blood count of a COVID-19 patient at the time of hospital admission. A comparative analysis was performed to determine differences in PLR at different clinical severities of COVID-19. Results. A total of 114 patients were enrolled in the study. Most of the COVID-19 patients are patients with non-severe grade, 57.1%, while the other 42.9% are patients with severe grade. In both severity grades, the platelet count is basically normal, while a low lymphocyte count is observed in the severe severity grades. Higher PLR values were found in severe COVID -19 patients, with a significant difference between severe and non-severe patients (p=0.00). Conclusion. There is a significant difference in PLR in severe and non-severe COVID -19 grades. Keywords: Platelet-to-lymphocyte Ratio, Severity, COVID-19, Inflammation