Investigation of the relationship between subcarinal angle values and mortality in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients in the intensive care unit

Purpose: We aimed to investigate the relationship between subcarinal angle (SCA) values and mortality in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU). Materials and methods: This retrospective study included 108 patients with COPD who were admitted to the ICU between January 2018 and December 2018. SCA values on posterior-anterior chest X-rays (PA-CXRs) were recorded from the patients' Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS). Patients were divided into survivor and non-survivor groups. Results: = 0.001) were associated with mortality. Conclusion: Narrower SCA values, advanced age, elevated creatinine and CRP levels, hypoalbuminemia, and higher APACHE-II scores were associated with increased mortality in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients admitted to the ICU. These findings suggest that SCA measured on routine chest radiographs may serve as a simple and readily available radiographic marker for mortality risk assessment in critically ill COPD patients.