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Lymphopenia as prognostic factor for mortality and hospital length of stay for elderly hospitalized patients

Aging Clinical and Experimental Research volume 28, pages 721–727 (2016)Cite this article

Abstract

Background

Lymphopenia is a common finding in elderly patients and its relevance is unknown.

Aims

To evaluate the clinical prognostic value of lymphopenia on the admission of elderly hospitalized patients.

Methods

From 2012 to 2013, all consecutive patients >75 hospitalized because of medical conditions were prospectively included in the study. Sociodemographic, clinical and laboratory data were collected. Lymphopenia was considered by a plasmatic lymphocyte count of <1100 × 109/l. Hospital length of stay, in-hospital mortality and mortality after a 1-year follow-up were assessed.

Results

The total sample consisted of 180 patients, 90 of whom were females (50 %). Mean age was 83.8 years (SD 5.4). Lymphopenia was present in 45 patients (25 %) upon admission. When compared, those patients with lymphopenia showed a longer hospital stay (19.9 vs. 15.7 days; p 0.002) and higher in-hospital mortality (26.7 vs 7.7 %; p 0.001). The odds ratio for in-hospital mortality in patients with lymphopenia was 3.9 (p 0.03) and the hazard ratio for 1-year mortality 1.9 (p 0.038). Both groups of elderly patients, with and without lymphopenia on admission, showed no differences related to sociodemographic, clinical, or other laboratory data. The study showed no difference in rate of infections between the groups.

Conclusion

A quarter of our elderly hospitalized patients had lymphopenia on admission. Furthermore, lymphopenia seemed to constitute as a predictor for bad outcome in terms of a longer hospital stay, in-hospital mortality and 1-year mortality after discharge.

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Acknowledgments

The present study was granted by our Ethical Committee.

Author information

Affiliations

  1. Internal Medicine Department, Bellvitge University Hospital-IDIBELL, 08907, L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain

    Manuel Rubio-Rivas, Sara Grillo, Francesca Gili, Celina Cabrera & Xavier Corbella

  2. Geriatric Unit, Internal Medicine Department, Bellvitge University Hospital-IDIBELL, L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain

    Francesc Formiga

  3. Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universitat Internacional de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain

    Xavier Corbella

Authors
  1. Manuel Rubio-Rivas
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  2. Francesc Formiga
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  3. Sara Grillo
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  4. Francesca Gili
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  5. Celina Cabrera
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  6. Xavier Corbella
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Manuel Rubio-Rivas.

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Conflict of interest

The authors declare no conflict of interests.

Ethical aproval

All procedures performed in studies involving the patients included in this report were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee.

Informed consent

Written informed consents were obtained from all participants.

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Rubio-Rivas, M., Formiga, F., Grillo, S. et al. Lymphopenia as prognostic factor for mortality and hospital length of stay for elderly hospitalized patients. Aging Clin Exp Res 28, 721–727 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40520-015-0474-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40520-015-0474-5

Keywords

  • Lymphopenia
  • Elderly patients
  • Length of stay
  • Mortality