Relationship Between the Pleural Effusion and Mean Platelet Volume After Coronary Artery Bypass Graft

Background: A higher mean platelet volume (MPV) can lead to an increase in platelet activation and thrombosis in coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) patients. Therefore, the goal of this study was to demonstrate the relationship between postoperative hemorrhagic pleural effusion (PE) and the MPV in the early postoperative period, after a CABG. Methods: This study was conducted between January 2012 and January 2013. The study population was composed of 85 non-PE patients and 71 PE patients based on the control chest X-rays obtained two weeks after the operation. The PE group was compared with the non-PE group statistically in terms of the clinical, laboratory, and postoperative parameters. Results: The number of males (P = 0.033) and MPV (P < 0.001) were significantly higher in the non-PE group. However, there was no significant difference between the groups in terms of the other clinical, laboratory, and postoperative parameters. The multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that only a higher MPV was an independent predictor of a lower incidence of postoperative hemorrhagic PE (odds ratio = 0.375, 95% confidence interval = 0.248 - 0.567, P < 0.001). Conclusions: A higher preoperative MPV was independently associated with a lower hemorrhagic PE incidence in patients with CABG during the early postoperative period. As a simple and widely available blood test value, the MPV can help to predict the development of PE in CABG patients postoperatively.