The hemoglobin, albumin, lymphocyte, and platelet (HALP) score and the neutrophil-to-albumin ratio in diagnosing acute meningitis

This study aims to investigate the usefulness of the hemoglobin, albumin, lymphocyte, and platelet (HALP) score and the neutrophil-to-albumin ratio (NAR) in diagnosing meningitis. A retrospective study was conducted using archive scans over a 2-year period between September 2022 and October 2024, using the ICD-10 code. Two study groups were formed from the study group of meningitis patients and the healthy group, which had a similar age and sex distribution. The HALP scores for both groups were calculated using the formula: hemoglobin × albumin × lymphocytes/platelets. The NAR was determined by dividing the neutrophil level by the albumin level. The median age of the study group (n = 70) was 38 years range (12.25-53.5), and the median age of the control group (n = 80) was 37 years range (37-38) (P > .05). The median HALP score was 35.50 in the study group and 58.69 in the control group, which was significantly different (P < .001). The median NAR score was 2.09 (Q1: 1.15, Q3: 3.08) in the study group and 1.03 (Q1: 0.86, Q3: 1.31) in the control group (P < .001). According to the receiver operating characteristic analysis of the HALP score, the area under the curve (AUC) was found to be 0.701, with a cutoff value of 41.46 providing 82.5% sensitivity and 62.9% specificity. The AUC value of the NAR was 0.789, with a cutoff value of 1.52, providing 64.3% sensitivity and 87.5% specificity. The HALP score and the NAR are promising biomarkers for diagnosing meningitis.