Assessing the Diagnostic Value of the Red Blood Cell Distribution-To-Platelet Ratio in Acute Leg Embolism Requiring Emergent Surgical Intervention

Background: The objective of this study was to evaluate the significance of the red blood cell distribution-to-platelet ratio (RPR) as a diagnostic indicator, derived from the initial hemogram measurements of patients who underwent emergent surgical treatment for acute leg embolism, by comparing it to a control group of healthy individuals. Methods: The study included 48 patients who underwent femoral embolectomy for acute lower limb ischemia, while an additional 49 individuals were enrolled as a control group. Demographic, clinical, and laboratory data were compared between the two groups. Using the receiver operating characteristic curve to determine the RPR cutoff value, the area under the curve, sensitivity, and specificity were calculated. Results: The age and gender distribution of both groups were comparable. The admission RPR values of patients who underwent surgery for acute embolism were statistically higher compared to healthy individuals (0.0677 (IQR: 0.0547-0.0803) vs. 0.0504 (IQR: 0.0441-0.0572), p<0.001). The area under the curve for acute extremity embolism was determined as 0.832, and the RPR cut-off value of 0.566 was found to predict acute extremity embolism with a sensitivity of 72.9% and a specificity of 73.5% (p<0.001). Conclusion: Our findings provide preliminary evidence that RPR can be used as a novel diagnostic indicator for acute leg embolism. Rather than being used diagnostically alone, it is thought that a comprehensive evaluation of this ratio, when combined with the patient’s medical history and other clinical findings, has the potential to expedite the diagnostic process, particularly in healthcare settings with limited access to imaging resources.