Red cell distribution width for prognosis in patients with pulmonary embolism: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Xiqian Xing, Yishu Deng, Yun Zhu, Shuangyan Xu, Shuangyan Xu, Jie Liu, Chunfang Zhang, Shuanglan Xu, Shuanglan Xu, Jiao Yang
Abstract
Abstract Objectives Patients with pulmonary embolism (PE) have a higher red cell distribution width (RDW), which may complicate the interpretation of the prognosis of PE. We aim to evaluate the diagnostic utility of the RDW in patients with PE. Methods Eligible studies were identified by searching PubMed and EMBASE from inception to December 23, 2018. The data were pooled using Stata 12 to evaluate the prognostic value. The sources of heterogeneity were detected. Results For the analysis of prognosis, 7 studies with 2146 patients were included, with median RDW values ranging from 13.4% to 15.7% and a median cut‐off point of 18.27%. A total of 247 patients (11.5% mortality) among the 2146 participants died. Overall, RDW was positively associated with the prognosis of PE in the overall analysis (HR = 1.19, 95% CI = 1.10‐1.29, I 2 = 73.4%; P = 0.000). Subgroup analyses by study design, sex and follow‐up time indicated that they were not sources of heterogeneity. Conclusions An elevated RDW has the potential to be a biomarker for prognosis in PE patients.