Role of Thrombocytopenia as an Independent Prognostic Marker in the Critically Ill Patients with Multiorgan Failure

Background: Thrombocytopenia is the most common coagulation problem in the ICU with an incidence of 15 to 60% depending on the definition used, population evaluated, and period of ICU stay studied.Objective: The aim of this work is to detect the role of thrombocytopenia a predictor of bad outcome if associated with multiorgan failure.Study Design: The study included 50 patients (30 pts. in prospective group and 20 pts. in retrospective group) with multiorgan failure and thrombocytopenia whish was either present at admission or developed during ICU stay, and 20 patients in the control group with multirgan failure without thrombocytopenia.Results: Patients who developed thrombocytopenia during ICU stay, thrombocytopenia was a predictor of mortality (60%, 63% in both retrospective and prospective groups respectively versus 55% in the control group), associated with more stay in ICU, more duration of MV and high SOFA score.The reverse in patients who improved from thrombocy-topenia.There was increase in mortality in patients who develop thrombocytopenia during hospital stay (79.2% in prospective group and 73% in retrospective group) but thrombocytopenia at admission may be improved or worsened so thrombocytopenia at admission wasn’t a predictor of mortality in our small size study.Conclusion: Thrombocytopenia could be used as independent prognostic marker ofin critically ill patients with multiorgan failure.