Day 2 neutrophil-to-lymphocyte and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratios for prediction of delayed cerebral ischemia in subarachnoid hemorrhage

Abstract

OBJECTIVE Recent evidence has suggested that an admission neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) of ≥ 5.9 predicts delayed cerebral ischemia (DCI) in aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH). The primary aims of this study were to assess reproducibility and to ascertain the predictive ability of NLR on subsequent days postictus. Secondary aims included identification of additional inflammatory markers. METHODS A single-center, retrospective study of all patients aged ≥ 18 years with aSAH between May 2014 and July 2018 was performed. Patient characteristics, DCI incidence, operative features, and outcomes (on discharge and at 3 months postictus) were recorded. C-reactive protein (CRP) and full blood count differentials were recorded on admission and through day 8 postictus or at discharge. In total, 403 patients were included in the final analysis. RESULTS Ninety-six patients (23.8%) developed DCI with a median time from ictus of 6 days (IQR 3.25–8 days). A platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) cutoff ≥ 157 and CRP cutoff ≥ 27 was used in our cohort. In a multiple binary logistic regression model, after controlling for known DCI predictors, day 2 NLR ≥ 5.9 (OR 2.194, 95% CI 1.099–4.372; p = 0.026), day 1 PLR ≥ 157 (OR 2.398, 95% CI 1.1072–5.361; p = 0.033), day 2 PLR ≥ 157 (OR 2.676, 95% CI 1.344– 5.329; p = 0.005), and CRP ≥ 27 on days 3, 4, and 5 were predictive of DCI. CONCLUSIONS The results of this study have confirmed the association between NLR and DCI and have demonstrated the predictive potential of PLR and CRP, suggesting that NLR and PLR at day 2, and CRP from day 3 onward, may be better predictors of DCI than those measurements at the time of ictus. https://thejns.org/doi/abs/10.3171/2021.12.FOCUS21642