Platelet and mean platelet volume kinetics in adult patients with sepsis

The aims of this study were to evaluate the kinetics of platelet counts and mean platelet volume (MPV) in adults with sepsis and to determine whether the responses are infection-specific. This retrospective cohort study included patients admitted to a tertiary-care teaching hospital with microbiologically proven nosocomial sepsis between January 2006 and January 2011. Platelet counts and MPV measurements were examined daily for 5 days after the onset of sepsis. During the study period, 151 of the 214 sepsis episodes were associated with thrombocytopenia. Gram-positive microorganisms were the most frequently isolated. The decrease in platelet counts was statistically significant for the first 3 days of sepsis in Gram-positive septic patients, for 4 days in Gram-negative septic patients and for all 5 days in fungal septic patients (p<0.001). The increase in MPV values was statistically significant for the first 3 days of sepsis in Gram-positive septic patients and for all 5 days in the other groups (p<0.001). We conclude that fungal sepsis has a stronger association with thrombocytopenia and increased MPV.