# Systemic Inflammatory Response Index Has a Value for the Early Diagnosis and Short‐Term Prognostic Assessment of Severe Pneumonia in the Elderly

## TL;DR

The study shows that the systemic inflammatory response index (SIRI) can help diagnose severe pneumonia in elderly patients and predict their short-term survival.

## Contribution

This study demonstrates SIRI's potential as a diagnostic and prognostic tool for severe pneumonia in elderly patients.

## Key findings

- SIRI levels were higher in elderly patients with severe pneumonia and correlated with disease severity markers.
- SIRI predicted the occurrence and 28-day survival of severe pneumonia with high accuracy (AUC values of 0.843 and 0.806).
- High SIRI levels independently increased the risk of 28-day mortality in elderly severe pneumonia patients.

## Abstract

This article probed the value of systemic inflammatory response index (SIRI) in the early diagnosis and short‐term prognostic assessment of severe pneumonia (SPM) in the elderly. First, 266 elderly patients with pneumonia were retrospectively included and allocated into SPM and N‐SPM groups as per APACHE‐II scores. Correlations of SIRI with APACHE‐II scores, CRP, and PCT were analyzed. Patients were followed up for 28 days, and SPM patients were allocated into death and survival groups based on survival status. The values of SIRI for early diagnosis and short‐term prognostic assessment of elderly SPM patients were evaluated. Influencing factors for short‐term death in elderly SPM patients were screened. SIRI levels were high in elderly SPM patients and were positively correlated with APACHE II scores and CRP and PCT levels. SIRI had a high predictive value for the occurrence (AUC = 0.843) and 28‐day survival (AUC = 0.806) of SPM. High SIRI levels elevated the risk of 28‐day mortality in elderly SPM patients. APACHE II scores (HR = 1.125) and SIRI (HR = 1.977) were independent risk factors for short‐term death in elderly SPM patients. Overall, SIRI has a certain value for the early diagnosis and prognostic assessment of elderly SPM patients.