The relationship between platelet parameters and bacterial types in patients with bacteremia: A retrospective observational study.

Objective: To analyze the relationship between platelet parameters and bacterial types in patients with bacteremia.

Methodology: Data from 265 patients with positive blood bacterial cultures were collected. Clinical parameters and procalcitonin (PCT) were recorded.

Results: In 265 patients with bacteremia, gram-negative (G-) bacteria accounted for 56% of cases, and gram-positive (G +) bacteria accounted for 44% of cases. In patients with bacteremia, white blood cell counts (WBC), neutrophil counts (NEUT), the percentage of neutrophils (NEUT%), and PCT were increased, and lymphocyte counts (LYM) and the percentage of lymphocytes (LYM%) were decreased. The differences in plateletcrit values, NEUT%, LYM%, and PCT between the G- and the G + bacteria group were significantly different. The cutoff values of PCT, platelet, plateletcrit, and NEUT% were 1.31 ng/mL, 211 × 109/L, 0.205%, and 87.41%, respectively. The incidence of thrombocytopenia was 12%. There was no significant difference in WBC, NEUT%, PCT, platelet, platelet nadir, and days of thrombocytopenia between the G- and the G + bacteria among patients with thrombocytopenia.

Conclusions: Platelet, plateletcrit, NEUT%, and PCT are helpful for the early identification of G- and G + bacteria. The combination of PCT and hemogram parameters is more conducive to the early differential diagnosis of bacterial classification.