Role of blood urea nitrogen and serum albumin ratio in predicting severity of community acquired pneumonia (CAP)

Abstract

Blood urea nitrogen and serum albumin levels are independent risk factors for poor clinical outcome in CAP. However, there is a paucity in the literature on the role of blood urea nitrogen and albumin ratio (B/A) in CAP. This was a prospective observational study in which 112 admitted patients with the diagnosis of CAP underwent routine blood examinations, ABG, procalcitonin and chest X-ray. Univariate analysis among various risk factors, CURB-65 scores, blood parameters including B/A ratios and clinical outcomes were carried out followed by multiple logistic regression. Cox regression was done to look at B/A values and time to mortality. In the logistic regression, age, CURB-65 score, B/A ratio and procalcitonin came out to be independent risk factors for ICU admission and mortality. Odds ratio of B/A in predicting mortality and ICU admission came out to be 67.8(49.2-95.4) and 11.2 (8.4-14), respectively. Cox regression showed B/A values were also found to have a statistically significant relationship with time to mortality (p=0.001). B/A ratio has the potential to become a veritable predictor of poor clinical outcomes in patients with CAP.