Vol. 7, Issue 8 (2018)

Background: Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) remains a major contributor to morbidity and mortality worldwide. Early identification of disease severity is critical for effective management. This study aimed to evaluate the prognostic role of neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), a simple and cost-effective inflammatory biomarker, in assessing the severity of CAP.

Materials and Methods: This observational cross-sectional study was conducted at the Department of Medicine, Government Medical College, Chandrapur, from June 2015 to May 2016. A total of 100 adult patients with clinically and radiologically confirmed CAP were included. Baseline clinical data, CURB-65 scores, and complete blood counts were recorded. NLR was calculated and analyzed in relation to CURB-65 severity categories. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 20.

Results: The mean age of patients was 54.2 ± 16.8 years; 61% were male. Based on CURB-65, 42% were classified as low-risk, 33% moderate-risk, and 25% high-risk. Mean NLR values increased significantly with severity: 3.6 in low-risk, 6.8 in moderate-risk, and 11.5 in high-risk groups (p< 0.001). A strong positive correlation was observed between NLR and CURB-65 scores (r = 0.712, p< 0.001). Patients in the highest NLR quartile (?10.0) exhibited higher ICU admissions (48%) and mortality (28%).