Factors Predicting In-Hospital Mortality in Acute Exacerbations of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis

<bold>Introduction:</bold> Acute exacerbation of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (AE-IPF) is a potentially fatal complication of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). This study evaluated factors contributing to developing AE-IPF and in-hospital mortality in patients with IPF. <bold>Method:</bold> The study comprised 55 hospitalized patients diagnosed with AE-IPF. Sociodemographic characteristics, laboratory findings, pre-exacerbation lung diffusion capacity data and mortality status of the cases were recorded. <bold>Results:</bold> The mean age of the cases was 71.1±9.2 years, and 33(60%) were male. Out of the total cases, 16.4% were diagnosed pathologically, while 83.6% were diagnosed clinically and radiologically. The median hospitalization time was 9(0-51) days, and 15(27.3%) cases died. The performances of CRP, procalcitonin, hemoglobin, and DLCO (%) as predictors of in-hospital mortality were assessed using ROC curve analysis (Fig. 1a, 1b, 1c and 1d). <fig><object-id>erj;64/suppl_68/PA1159/F1</object-id><object-id>F1</object-id><object-id>F1</object-id><graphic></graphic></fig> In multivariate analysis, the odds ratio (OR) for CRP>31.6 was 13.42 (95% CI: 1.03-174.78; p=0.047), and DLCO≤27 was 20.34 (95% CI: 1.51-273.65; p=0.023). <bold>Conclusion:</bold> High CRP levels during hospitalization may indicate systemic inflammation and pathological processes, while low DLCO values may indicate fibrosis and lung alveolar damage, underscoring the importance of evaluating these simple clinical parameters for predicting in-hospital mortality in AE-IPF patients.