C-reactive Protein and D-Dimer as possible Predictors of Clinical Characteristics and Outcome in Community-Acquired Pneumonia

Abstract

Background: Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is one of the major causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. The early recognition of patients at risk of severe disease and poor outcomes is of critical importance. Inflammatory and coagulation biomarkers, including C-reactive protein (CRP) and D-dimer, may play a role in the prediction of severity and prognosis of the disease. Objective: To evaluate the role of CRP and D-dimer as predictors of clinical characteristics and outcomes in patients with CAP. Methodology: A cross-sectional analytical study was conducted among 230 CAP patients in a tertiary care hospital in Peshawar, Pakistan, from January to December 2022. The data collected included clinical, demographic, and laboratory data such as CRP and D-dimer levels. The study also included the associations of these biomarkers with the severity of the disease, radiological involvement, ICU admission, length of stay in the hospital, and mortality using SPSS version 26. Results: The mean values of CRP and D-dimer were 82.6 ± 38.8 mg/L and 1.34 ± 0.82 mg/L, respectively. These two markers were observed to rise with disease severity, bilateral lung involvement, ICU admission, prolonged hospital stay, and mortality (p < 0.001). It is evident that increased values of these two markers were associated with worse outcomes in CAP patients. Conclusion: The use of CRP and D-dimer as biomarkers for the prediction of the severity of the disease and the outcome of the patients with CAP is significant. Future studies are suggested for the validation of the findings.