Hemogram values in community acquired pneumonia

BackgroundHemogram or complete blood count (CBC) is one of essential laboratory tests either in the diagnosis or assessment of community acquired pneumonia (CAP) patients.ObjectiveTo assess the role of leukocyte and platelet count in determination of the severity and outcome of CAP.Patients and methodsThis is a prospective descriptive study which was done on 95 patients aged ⩾18 years, who were diagnosed to have CAP. Clinical, laboratory and chest radiographic finding data were collected for each patient. Assessment of CAP severity using Pneumonia Severity Index (PSI) and CRB-65 score (the confusion, respiratory rate, blood pressure plus age ⩾65) was done for all enrolled patients. Thrombocytopenia and thrombocytosis were defined as platelet count <100,000/μL and 400,000/μL, respectively. Leukopenia and leukocytosis were defined as WBC count of <4000/μL and >11,000/μL, respectively. The outcome variable was in-hospital mortality.ResultsIn this study 75 (78.9%) of patients improved (survivors) and the outcome of 20 (21.1%) patients was in-hospital mortality (non-survivors). PS-index score III, IV and V and CRB-65 score II, III and IV were significantly higher in patients with thrombocytosis (P < 0.006, P < 0.04 respectively) while there was no significant difference as regards leukocyte count in both scores. Also both thrombocytopenia and thrombocytosis were significantly higher in non survivors (P < 0.006) while there was no significant difference as regards leukocytosis. Platelet count has a significant positive correlation with CRB-65 and PS index with P-value 0.001 for each and r-value 0.236, 0.259 respectively.ConclusionOn assessment of CAP patients at admission; platelet count could be considered to be a valuable indicator of severity and outcome on evaluating hemogram (CBC) values than the more commonly used leukocyte count.