Development and validation of a risk prediction model for linezolid-induced anemia in elderly patients: a retrospective cohort study

Background: Linezolid-induced anemia (LI-AN) is a severe adverse reaction, but risk factors of the LI-AN for elderly patients have not been established.Objectives: The objective of this study was to develop a nomogram capable of predicting LI-AN in elderly patients.Design: This is a retrospective study to develop and validate a nomogram for anemia prediction in elderly patients treated with linezolid.Methods: We retrospectively screened elderly patients treated with linezolid at Inner Mongolia People's Hospital from January 2020 to December 2023 and validated our findings using the MIMIC-IV 2.2 database. Anemia was defined as hemoglobin reduction to 75% of baseline value. Univariate and multivariable logistic regression models were used to identify predictors and construct the nomogram, which was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, calibration plot, and decision curve analysis.Results: A total of 231 patients were enrolled in this study. The training set comprised 151 individuals, and anemia occurred in 28 cases (18.54%). In the external validation set of 80 individuals, 26 (32.5%) were diagnosed with anemia. The predictors included duration of linezolid therapy, patient estimated glomerular filtration rate value, and sequential organ failure assessment score >= 2. The ROC curve for the training set was 0.830 (95% CI: 0.750-0.910), while a similar ROC curve of 0.743 (95% CI: 0.621-0.865) was obtained for the validation set. The calibration curve demonstrated good correlation between predicted and observed results, indicating that this study effectively predicts risk factors associated with LI-AN in elderly patients.Conclusion: The developed prediction model can provide valuable guidance for clinicians to prevent anemia and facilitate rational linezolid use in elderly patients. Study analyzing the clinical data of elderly patients using linezolid to better understand what factors may contribute to anemia in patientsWhy was the study done? This study aimed to develop a tool that predicts the risk of anemia in elderly patients treated with linezolid, a medication that can cause severe side effects like low hemoglobin levels. Identifying factors that contribute to this adverse reaction can help doctors prevent it and ensure safer use of linezolid.What did the researchers do? The researchers studied the medical records of elderly patients treated with linezolid at Inner Mongolia People's Hospital over a 4-year period. To better understand which factors are related to the occurrence of anemia, so we can find ways to predict the occurrence of problems.What did the researchers find? Factors that increase the risk of anemia after using linezolid include the duration of use of linezolid, kidney function, and SOFA score, that is, the longer the use of linezolid, the worse the kidney function, the higher the SOFA score, and the more likely the patient is to develop anemia.What do the findings mean? The researchers successfully created a tool, called a prediction model, which can help doctors predict the likelihood of anemia in elderly patients taking linezolid. This can guide clinicians in monitoring and managing patients more effectively, potentially reducing the occurrence of anemia and ensuring safer use of linezolid in elderly populations.