The behavior of Mean Platelet Volume in Sepsis in critical patients with and without sepsis

Abstract

The mean platelet volume is an anatomical biomarker that has shown its usefulness in various cardiovascular and metabolic pathologies; in sepsis, it has been positioning itself as an indicator of mortality, easily accessible and immediately applicable when reported in the routine blood count. This study demonstrates the mean platelet volume's biological behavior in critical patients with sepsis compared with non-septic patients. An observational, longitudinal, prospective, monocentric cohort study was conducted in 250 patients treated at the intensive care unit of the Pablo Arturo Suárez Hospital, Quito- Ecuador, from January 2019 January 2020. A group of patients with sepsis (n = 125) and without infectious pathologies (n = 125) were studied. The inclusion criteria were patients over 18 years of age of both genders, diagnosed with sepsis or septic shock using SEPSIS 3 criteria, and patients without septic pathology. The mean platelet volume (MPV) of days 1, 2, and 3 were studied. Septic patients had a mean APACHE (18.74 SD 9.52) higher than the non-septic ones (11.93 SD 7.01) (p = < 0.000). The MPV was consistently higher in patients with sepsis than non-septic patients, but it reached statistical significance on day 3 (9.13 SD 1.55 vs. 8.66 SD 1.34, p=0.042). The MPV on day 3 presented a significant area under the curve (AUC =0.580) (CI. 0.500-0.661), where the cut-off point according to Youden's index was positive for sepsis if MPV≥ 9.85 femtoliter (fL) with OR=3.30 and p-value= 0.005. Likewise, lactate on admission showed an AUC of 0.625 (CI. 0.555-0.694), with a cut-off point ≥of 1.15 mmol / L, OR=2.51, and p=0.007. Age and hypertension did not show a multivariate relationship with the presence of sepsis. It was shown that MPV is higher in patients with sepsis compared to non-septic ones. This observation reaches significance on day 3. Additionally, elevated lactate at admission was also associated with a septic state. On the other hand, platelet count did not show the expected behavior.