Risk Factors of Benson et al for Predicting In-Hospital Mortality for an AIDS Patient with a First Episode of Pneumocystis Pneumonia

 

Parameters evaluated on hospital admission:

(1) APACHE II score

(2) serum LDH in IU/L

(3) serum albumin in g/dL

 

Precise cutoffs are not given, but the following are based on the data in Table 2 (page 320):

 

Parameter	Findings	Points
APACHE II score	< 14	0
	>= 14	1
serum LDH in IU/L	< 650 IU/L	0
	>= 650 IU/L	1
serum albumin in g/dL	> 3.1 g/dL	0
	<= 3.1 g/dL	1

 

total number of risk factors =

= SUM(points for all 3 parameters)

 

Interpretation:

• minimum number of risk factors: 0

• maximum number of risk factors: 3

• The risk of in-hospital mortality increases with the number of risk factors present.

 

Limitations:

• The method and normal reference range for serum LDH was not given.

• Care of HIV-positive patients with Pneumocystis pneumonia has improved since 1991.