@article{3103377,
    title = "Increased Red Cell Distribution Width Is Associated With Disease Severity in Hospitalized Adults With SARS-CoV-2 Infection: An Observational Multicentric Study",
    author = "Karampitsakos, T. and Akinosoglou, K. and Papaioannou, O. and Panou, V. and Koromilias, A. and Bakakos, P. and Loukides, S. and Bouros, D. and Gogos, C. and Tzouvelekis, A.",
    journal = "Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine",
    year = "2020",
    volume = "7",
    publisher = "Frontiers Media S.A",
    doi = "10.3389/fmed.2020.616292",
    keywords = "anakinra;  antibiotic agent;  azithromycin;  biological marker;  colchicine;  hydroxychloroquine;  lopinavir plus ritonavir;  low molecular weight heparin;  remdesivir;  tocilizumab, adult;  Article;  controlled study;  coronavirus disease 2019;  disease course;  disease severity;  female;  Greece;  hospital patient;  hospitalization;  human;  human cell;  major clinical study;  male;  mortality;  mortality risk;  multicenter study;  observational study;  red blood cell distribution width;  reproducibility;  Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2;  validity",
    abstract = "Background: There is an amenable need for clinically applicable biomarkers in patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection. Red Cell Distribution Width (RDW) has been recently suggested as a prognostic biomarker for COVID-19. Methods: This was an observational study enrolling patients between February 26 and May 15 2020. We aimed to validate the association of the previously published RDW threshold of 14.5% with markers of disease progression and mortality. Results: A total number of 193 hospitalized patients with COVID-19 were enrolled and analyzed. Median age was 61 years (95% CI: 58–64). Patients with baseline RDW ≥14.5% (n = 41, 19.2%) presented with more progressive disease compared to patients with baseline RDW <14.5% (n = 156, 80.8%) as indicated by significant differences in maximum FiO2% during hospitalization (median: 100, 95% CI: 45.2–100, vs. 35, 95% CI: 31–40, p = 0.0001, respectively). Values of RDW ≥14.5% were also strongly associated with increased risk of mortality (HR: 4.1, 95% CI: 0.88–19.23), (p = 0.02). Conclusion: Our study provides evidence to support reproducibility and validity of a specified cut-off threshold of RDW as biomarker of disease severity and mortality in patients with COVID-19. © Copyright © 2020 Karampitsakos, Akinosoglou, Papaioannou, Panou, Koromilias, Bakakos, Loukides, Bouros, Gogos and Tzouvelekis."
}