The association between RDW-to-platelet ratio and in-hospital mortality in critically ill stroke patients: A retrospective cohort study based on the eICU database

PLoS One. 2026 Apr 17;21(4):e0344361. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0344361. eCollection 2026.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: The red cell distribution width-to-platelet ratio (RDW-to-platelet ratio, RPR) is a potential biomarker of inflammation and bone marrow function. This study aimed to investigate the association between RPR and in-hospital mortality in critically ill stroke patients in the eICU, and to evaluate mediating role of APACHE-IV score.

METHOD: This retrospective cohort study utilized data from the 2014-2015 US multicenter eICU database. Of 200,859 initially included patients, 9,736 critically ill stroke patients were analyzed after excluding non-stroke cases and those with missing key variables. Multivariable logistic regression assessed the relationship between RPR and in-hospital mortality, adjusting for age, sex, comorbidities, and laboratory parameters, with multiple imputation for missing data. Subgroup analyses, mediation analysis, and restricted cubic spline modeling were performed.

RESULTS: Patients with higher RPR exhibited significantly elevated in-hospital mortality (17.7% vs. 11.6%, P < 0.001). After adjustment, each unit increase in RPR was associated with 4.6% higher odds of death (adjusted OR=1.046, 95% CI: 1.032-1.061, P < 0.001), with consistent findings across subgroups. Restricted cubic spline analysis indicated a linear relationship. Mediation analysis showed that APACHE-IV score mediated 20.15% of the total effect (P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS: Elevated RPR is independently associated in-hospital mortality in critically ill stroke patients, partly mediated by disease severity. As a simple and accessible marker, RPR shows promise for clinical prognostic risk stratification.

PMID:41996310 | PMC:PMC13089741 | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0344361