A Prospective Observational Study in Elderly Patients of Acute Respiratory Failure and Corelation of Outcome with Interleukin-6 and C-reactive Protein
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Abstract
Introduction: Acute respiratory failure is a major medical emergency in elderly patients, [1-3], often linked to a hyper-inflammatory state. Interleukin-6 (IL-6) regulates C-reactive protein (CRP), suggesting that combined elevated levels of both may correlate with poorer pulmonary outcomes. This study aimed to evaluate the association of combined CRP and IL-6 levels with outcomes in elderly patients with acute respiratory failure. Materials and Methods: This prospective observational study included 100 inpatients over 60 years old with acute respiratory failure, conducted over one year. Patients with chronic respiratory diseases were excluded. Clinical history, examination, and relevant investigations were performed. Patients were followed until discharge or death. Data analysis was done using SPSS version 21. Results: Most patients (74%) were aged 61–70 years; 56% were female. Dyspnea (89%) and tachypnea (60%) were common. Invasive mechanical ventilation was required in 42% of cases. Among the 28% who died, 71.4% had elevated CRP and 64.3% had raised IL-6, indicating a link between elevated biomarkers and mortality. Conclusion: Elevated CRP and IL-6 levels are associated with worse outcomes in elderly patients with acute respiratory failure. These markers may help in prognostication and management of such patients.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Neelam Redkar, Laxmi Swamy, Prakash Relwani, Abhilasha Srivastava, Omkar Paradkar, Suyash Vanarase, Diksha Samsukha, Alhad Mulkalwar
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