Publication:

Mean platelet volume and red blood cell distribution width coefficient of variation as predictors of prognosis in pneumonia in children

Background Community acquired pneumonia (CAP) is a major global health concern for children, causing numerous hospitalizations and death. Community acquired pneumonia is a major cause of under-five mortality in children. Identifying reliable prognostic markers is crucial. Mean platelet volume (MPV) and red cell distribution width co-efficient of variation (RDW-CV) are accessible and cost-effective options for assessment of prognosis in pneumonia. This study investigates MPV and RDW-CV as prognostic markers in children with community acquired pneumonia.

Methods This prospective observational study includes 80 children aged 1-16 years diagnosed with pneumonia upon initial examination and admitted to hospital. Community acquired Pneumonia diagnosis was based on clinical symptoms, physical examination and/or radiological findings. Pneumonia severity was assessed using the Clinical Respiratory Score (CRS), categorizing patients into mild, moderate, severe groups. MPV and RDW-CV were compared among these groups.

Results Across the sample of 80 children, RDW-CV and MPV values did not demonstrate statistically significant differences when compared by sex, age group, ICU requirement or hospital stay duration. For most comparisons, p-values exceeded 0.05, indicating that variations in these indices are likely due to random fluctuations rather than true biological differences.

Conclusions Certain trends (higher RDW-CV and MPV in intense severity groups, elevated MPV in pleural effusion and significant ROC for MPV) are biologically plausible in the context of systemic inflammation. MPV appears to be a more reliable marker than RDW-CV in this dataset. RDW-CV did not demonstrate meaningful prognostic value. The findings reinforce that MPV may serve as a supportive, accessible biomarker for predicting more severe pneumonia in children, whereas RDW-CV requires larger sample evaluation to confirm its utility.