Letter to "C-reactive protein level predicts need for medical intervention in pregnant women with SARS-CoV2 infection: A retrospective study".

Abstract Background During the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, many hospitals experienced a shortage of hospital beds. To make effective use of the limited available hospital space during the pandemic, we conducted this study to investigate the laboratory indices that identify pregnant women with SARS-CoV2 infection who require medical intervention. Methods We carried out a retrospective analysis of pregnant women positive for COVID-19 who were admitted to Hokkaido University Hospital from September 2020 to June 2021. Medical interventions included oxygen supplementation, systemic corticosteroids, or supplemental liquids to treat infection-related symptoms. Results Forty-two infected pregnant patients were admitted to the hospital, half of whom required medical intervention (n = 21). Fever, C-reactive protein , and platelet count are all associated with need for medical intervention. Of the 32 patients with a fever of ≥37.5℃ on days 0–3 after onset of syndromes, 22 (69%) continued to have a fever on days 4–6, of which 19 (86.4%) required medical intervention. C-reactive protein level and platelet count on days 4–6 predicted the presence or absence of medical intervention (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve = 0.913, and 0.856, respectively), with a sensitivity of 81% and specificity of 100% at a C-reactive protein cutoff of 1.28 mg/dL, with a sensitivity of 75% and specificity of 87% at a platelet count cutoff of 16.3 × 10⁴/μL. Conclusions The need for medical intervention in pregnant patients can be predicted with high accuracy using a C-reactive protein cutoff of 1.28 mg/dL on days 4–6 after onset of syndromes. The presence of fever also may be an easy marker for selecting subjects who need or will need therapeutic intervention. These could be an effective triage method to determine appropriate indications for the hospitalization of pregnant women in future outbreaks.