Research Article

Value of the urea-to-creatinine ratio for predicting mortality in pneumonia: a retrospective study with propensity score matching

Volume: 8 Number: 1 January 6, 2026
TR EN

Value of the urea-to-creatinine ratio for predicting mortality in pneumonia: a retrospective study with propensity score matching

Abstract

Aims: This study aimed to evaluate the prognostic value of the urea-to-creatinine ratio (UCR) in predicting in-hospital mortality among patients diagnosed with pneumonia and to compare its performance with the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), while minimizing confounding factors by propensity score matching. Methods: This retrospective, single-center observational study included adult patients with clinically and radiologically confirmed pneumonia who presented to the emergency department between 2023 and 2025. Demographic characteristics, laboratory parameters, and clinical outcomes were obtained from the hospital’s electronic medical record system. UCR and NLR were calculated using laboratory values recorded at admission. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses were performed both before and after 1:1 nearest-neighbor propensity score matching, which was conducted using age, troponin I, and pro-BNP as matching variables. The primary outcome was all-cause in-hospital mortality. Results: A total of 2,884 patients met the inclusion criteria. Non-survivors (n=442) showed significantly higher UCR and NLR levels compared with survivors (n=2,442; p<0.001). In the overall cohort, UCR demonstrated strong predictive performance for mortality (Area under the curve (AUC) 0.76; 95% CI: 0.735–0.785), outperforming NLR (AUC 0.62; 95% CI: 0.591–0.648). After propensity score matching (n=826), UCR maintained its discriminatory performance (AUC 0.729; 95% CI: 0.695–0.763), again outperforming NLR (AUC 0.60). The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of UCR remained clinically meaningful and consistent across both the unmatched and matched analyses. Conclusion: UCR showed a moderate yet clinically relevant ability to predict in-hospital mortality among pneumonia patients and consistently outperformed NLR, both before and after adjustment for confounders. These findings suggest that UCR may serve as a useful adjunct biomarker for early risk stratification in pneumonia.

Keywords

Supporting Institution

None

Ethical Statement

The local ethic committee approved this study. Decision no: AEŞH-BADEK1-2025-281; date: August 6, 2025.

Thanks

None

References

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Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Emergency Medicine

Journal Section

Research Article

Publication Date

January 6, 2026

Submission Date

November 24, 2025

Acceptance Date

December 21, 2025

Published in Issue

Year 2026 Volume: 8 Number: 1

APA
Şirin, İ., Sanalp Menekşe, T., Şafak, S., Vahapoğlu Vural, N., & Çıkrıkçı Işık, G. (2026). Value of the urea-to-creatinine ratio for predicting mortality in pneumonia: a retrospective study with propensity score matching. Anatolian Current Medical Journal, 8(1), 91-96. https://doi.org/10.38053/acmj.1829295
AMA
1.Şirin İ, Sanalp Menekşe T, Şafak S, Vahapoğlu Vural N, Çıkrıkçı Işık G. Value of the urea-to-creatinine ratio for predicting mortality in pneumonia: a retrospective study with propensity score matching. Anatolian Curr Med J / ACMJ / acmj. 2026;8(1):91-96. doi:10.38053/acmj.1829295
Chicago
Şirin, İlker, Tuğba Sanalp Menekşe, Sedanur Şafak, Nur Vahapoğlu Vural, and Gülşah Çıkrıkçı Işık. 2026. “Value of the Urea-to-Creatinine Ratio for Predicting Mortality in Pneumonia: A Retrospective Study With Propensity Score Matching”. Anatolian Current Medical Journal 8 (1): 91-96. https://doi.org/10.38053/acmj.1829295.
EndNote
Şirin İ, Sanalp Menekşe T, Şafak S, Vahapoğlu Vural N, Çıkrıkçı Işık G (January 1, 2026) Value of the urea-to-creatinine ratio for predicting mortality in pneumonia: a retrospective study with propensity score matching. Anatolian Current Medical Journal 8 1 91–96.
IEEE
[1]İ. Şirin, T. Sanalp Menekşe, S. Şafak, N. Vahapoğlu Vural, and G. Çıkrıkçı Işık, “Value of the urea-to-creatinine ratio for predicting mortality in pneumonia: a retrospective study with propensity score matching”, Anatolian Curr Med J / ACMJ / acmj, vol. 8, no. 1, pp. 91–96, Jan. 2026, doi: 10.38053/acmj.1829295.
ISNAD
Şirin, İlker - Sanalp Menekşe, Tuğba - Şafak, Sedanur - Vahapoğlu Vural, Nur - Çıkrıkçı Işık, Gülşah. “Value of the Urea-to-Creatinine Ratio for Predicting Mortality in Pneumonia: A Retrospective Study With Propensity Score Matching”. Anatolian Current Medical Journal 8/1 (January 1, 2026): 91-96. https://doi.org/10.38053/acmj.1829295.
JAMA
1.Şirin İ, Sanalp Menekşe T, Şafak S, Vahapoğlu Vural N, Çıkrıkçı Işık G. Value of the urea-to-creatinine ratio for predicting mortality in pneumonia: a retrospective study with propensity score matching. Anatolian Curr Med J / ACMJ / acmj. 2026;8:91–96.
MLA
Şirin, İlker, et al. “Value of the Urea-to-Creatinine Ratio for Predicting Mortality in Pneumonia: A Retrospective Study With Propensity Score Matching”. Anatolian Current Medical Journal, vol. 8, no. 1, Jan. 2026, pp. 91-96, doi:10.38053/acmj.1829295.
Vancouver
1.İlker Şirin, Tuğba Sanalp Menekşe, Sedanur Şafak, Nur Vahapoğlu Vural, Gülşah Çıkrıkçı Işık. Value of the urea-to-creatinine ratio for predicting mortality in pneumonia: a retrospective study with propensity score matching. Anatolian Curr Med J / ACMJ / acmj. 2026 Jan. 1;8(1):91-6. doi:10.38053/acmj.1829295

 

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