title: Prediction of outcome and prognosis of patients on mechanical ventilation using body mass index, SOFA score, C-Reactive protein, and serum albumin.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Body mass index (BMI), serum albumin, and C-reactive protein (CRP) appear to be major determinants of hospitalization.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine the predictive ability of BMI, Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA score), serum albumin, and CRP to assess the duration and outcome of mechanical ventilation (MV).
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty patients aged >18 years who required mechanical ventilation (MV) were enrolled for the study. They were divided into two groups; patients who improved (Group 1), patients who expired (Group 2). Group 1 was further divided into two groups: patients on MV for <5 days (Group A), and patients on MV for >5days (Group B). BMI and SOFA score were calculated, and serum albumin and CRP were estimated.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Out of the 30 patients, 18 patients successfully improved after MV (Group 1) and 12 patients expired (Group 2). Among the 18 patients in group 1, ten patients improved within 5 days (Group A) and 8 patients after 5 days (Group B). SOFA score and CRP were significantly increased (P value 0.0003 and 0.0001, respectively) in group 2 when compared to group 1. CRP >24.2 mg/L or SOFA score >7 at the start of MV increases the probability of mortality by factor 13.08 or 3.92, respectively The above parameters did not show any statistical difference when group A was compared to group B.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Simple, economic and easily accessible markers like CRP and assessment tools of critically ill patients with SOFA score are important determinants of possible outcomes of a patient from MV.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, JSS Medical College, JSS University, Mysore, India.
authors.forename: Barnamoy
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bhattacharya
authors.forename: Akila
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Prashant
authors.forename: Prashant
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vishwanath
authors.forename: M N
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Suma
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Nataraj