Correlation Between Platelet Indices and Severity of Sepsis: A Hospital-Based Prospective Study.

BACKGROUND

Sepsis is a life-threatening condition that causes tissue and organ damage, with older adults, very young children, pregnant women, and individuals with comorbidities at higher risk. This study evaluates the correlation between platelet indices and the severity of sepsis by comparing them with the Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) and Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE II) scores, aiming to establish cost-effective and easily accessible hematological prognostic markers for sepsis management.  Methods: A prospective study was conducted involving 320 patients with sepsis to evaluate platelet indices, such as mean platelet volume (MPV), platelet distribution width (PDW), plateletcrit (PCT), and platelet large cell ratio (P-LCR). The association between these indices and sepsis outcomes was analyzed. Platelet indices were compared with the gold-standard SOFA and APACHE II scores. Statistical analysis was applied to both categorical and continuous data, while a t-test was applied for comparison. Correlation analysis was performed using the Pearson correlation coefficient. P-values less than 0.05 were considered statistically significant.  Results: The clinico-demographic profile of sepsis patients revealed a mean age of 55.17 ± 18.10 years, with 67% male patients. Platelet indices such as PDW and PCT were elevated on day 3 and showed comparability with SOFA scores. A significant association was found between clinico-demographic features and sepsis outcomes (death and discharge). Among the platelet indices, MPV on days 1 and 7, PDW on days 3 and 7, P-LCR on days 3 and 7, and PCT on day 7 showed significant associations with sepsis outcomes. In correlation analysis, PDW on days 3 and 7 and PCT on day 7 demonstrated a significant positive correlation with SOFA and APACHE II scores. Conversely, a significant negative correlation was found between PCV and the SOFA score.

CONCLUSIONS

The study concludes that PDW and PCT on days 3 and 7 are strong predictive markers of sepsis severity, while P-LCR on day 7 is effective in predicting sepsis outcomes. Overall, platelet indices offer valuable prognostic insight for assessing sepsis severity and outcomes, especially in resource-limited hospital settings.