Is red blood cell distribution width a marker of severity in patients discharged from the ICU?

Tiago Antonio Tonietto; Marcio Manozzo Boniatti; Thiago Costa Lisboa; Marina Verçoza Viana; Gustavo Adolpho Moreira Faulhaber

doi:10.1186/s40560-019-0364-6

Is red blood cell distribution width a marker of severity in patients discharged from the ICU?

J Intensive Care. 2019 Jan 29:7:6. doi: 10.1186/s40560-019-0364-6. eCollection 2019.

Authors

Tiago Antonio Tonietto^{1

2}, Marcio Manozzo Boniatti², Thiago Costa Lisboa², Marina Verçoza Viana², Gustavo Adolpho Moreira Faulhaber³

Affiliations

¹ 1Department of Critical Care Medicine, Hospital Nossa Senhora da Conceição, 596 Francisco Trein Ave, Porto Alegre, RS 91350-200 Brazil.
² 2Department of Critical Care Medicine, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, 2350 Ramiro Barcelos Street, Porto Alegre, RS 90035-903 Brazil.
³ 3Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, 721 Jeronimo de Ornelas Ave, Porto Alegre, RS 90040-341 Brazil.

Abstract

We have read the study about the association between high red blood cell distribution width and higher ward mortality after intensive care unit discharge. The study increases the evidence that RDW may be a marker of severity for patients discharged from the ICU. However, in this letter, we comment on issues that need further discussion.

Keywords: Intensive care unit; Mortality; RDW; Red blood cell distribution width.