Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio as a Prognostic Marker of Disease Severity in Community-Acquired Pneumonia Among Hospitalized Patients From Northeast India

A strong positive correlation (r = 0.72) was noted between the NLR and CURB-65 score. A level of NLR ≥ 9.5 anticipated the need for intensive care unit (ICU) admission (40.74%, n=66 out of 162), while NLR ≥ 16 was associated with a higher death rate (80%, n=16; out of 20 deaths) compared to NLR <16 (20%, n=4). Most patients (55%) were middle-aged men. Right middle zone pneumonia (22.8%) was the most frequent radiological finding, while 85.18% patients had sterile sputum culture. Both Klebsiella pneumoniae (6.2%) and Streptococcus pneumoniae (6.2%) were the most typical organisms noted in the culture specimen. Conclusion: An elevated NLR is a strong predictor of disease severity, ICU requirement and mortality amongst Indian CAP patients.