Association between platelet parameters and mortality in coronavirus disease 2019: Retrospective cohort study

Thrombocytopenia has been implicated in patients infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, while the association of platelet count and changes with subsequent mortality remains unclear.

The clinical and laboratory data of 383 patients with the definite outcome by March 1, 2020 in the Central Hospital of Wuhan were reviewed. The association between platelet parameters and mortality risk was estimated by utilizing Cox proportional hazard regression models.

Among the 383 patients, 334 (87.2%) were discharged and survived, and 49 (12.8%) died. Thrombocytopenia at admission was associated with mortality of almost three times as high as that for those without thrombocytopenia (P < 0.05). Cox regression analyses revealed that platelet count was an independent risk factor associated with in-hospital mortality in a dose-dependent manner. An increment of per 50 × 10⁹/L in platelets was associated with a 40% decrease in mortality (hazard ratio: 0.60, 95%CI: 0.43, 0.84). Dynamic changes of platelets were also closely related to death during hospitalization.

Baseline platelet levels and changes were associated with subsequent mortality. Monitoring platelets during hospitalization may be important in the prognosis of patients with coronavirus disease in 2019.