Background

COVID-19 has been associated with sepsis-associated encephalitis in critically ill patients. Neurofilament light (NfL) is a blood based biomarker for axonal damage; its measurement could aid in neurological monitoring and prognostication of these patients.

Aims and objectives

To evaluate if NfL could predict clinical outcomes such as mortality and delirium and at which time points during admission Nfl measurements should be performed.

Methods

Clinical data and serial blood samples were collected by the AmsterdamUMC COVID-19 biobank from March September 2020. NfL was measured using Simoa technology and data was analyzed using logistic regression.

Results

116 patients were included in this study. The peak values of NfL predicted mortality but not delirium. NfL at baseline, time of extubation and time of discharge from the ICU did not predict mortality and/or delirium. NfL values per patient did not decrease around time of extubation or time of discharge.

Conclusions

Only peak NfL predicted mortality, in this cohort of critically ill COVID-19 patients. Interestingly, as patients improved clinically, NfL did not appear to decrease accordingly