FIB-4 Index: Potential Predictor of Mortality in COVID-19 Patients

ÖzObjective: To evaluate the predictive value of the fibrosis-4 (FIB-4) index for mortality among patients with Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19).Methods: This retrospective study included 325 patients diagnosed with COVID-19 via reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction at a tertiary care hospital from January 2021 to January 2022.We calculated the FIB-4 index using age, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, and platelet count.Data on demographics, clinical characteristics, comorbid conditions, and outcomes were analyzed.Results: Patients were categorized into survivors (56.6%, n=184) and non-survivors (43.4%, n=151).The median FIB-4 index was significantly higher in nonsurvivors [4.02 interquartile range (IQR) 2.48-8.62)]than in survivors [2.57(IQR 1.69-3.95)],p<0.001.ROC analysis showed that the FIB-4 index had a moderate predictive accuracy for mortality (area under the curve =0.693).A FIB-4 index cut-off of >3.80 provided the best balance between sensitivity (53.90%) and specificity (74.46%). Conclusion:The FIB-4 index serves as a reliable predictor of mortality in patients with COVID-19, surpassing traditional liver function tests in prognostic accuracy.It offers a practical tool for the early identification of patients at higher risk of adverse outcomes.