Platelet Indices as the Predictor of Antibiotics Response in Surgical Wound Infections Following Total Abdominal Hysterectomy

OBJECTIVES: The mean platelet volume (MPV) and the MPV-to-platelet (PLT) count ratio have long been reported as inflammation markers. In this study, we aimed to investigate the predictive value of the MPV and the MPV-to-PLT ratio on surgical wound healing in patients who underwent abdominal hysterectomy and experienced infections at the surgical site following surgery, despite adequate antimicrobial treatment. METHODS: A total of 100 patients who encountered surgical wound infection (SWI) after abdominal hysterectomy were enrolled retrospectively. Samples for complete blood count were drawn the day before the operation. All patients received preoperative and postoperative antibiotic prophylaxis and proper antimicrobial treatment following the SWI development. Patients’ condition resolved after standard care and antimicrobial agents were classified as the standard care group. Others, in whom an improvement despite the standard care was not observed, underwent delayed primary closure and were classified as the delayed primary closure group. RESULTS: The PLT count was decreased (319.5±66 103/µL vs. 392±121 103/µL; p<0.05), MPV(9.2±1.3 fL vs. 8.2±1.5 fL; p<0.05), and the MPV-to-PLT ratio (0.030±0.006 vs. 0.024±0.014; p<0.05) was increased in the delayed primary closure group compared to the standard care group. A receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was performed to determine the predictive value of these parameters on the response to standard care measures providing 8.28fL as a cut-off value for MPV (AUC=0.647, 72% sensitivity and 52% specificity) and 0.025 as a cut-off value for the MPV-to-PLT ratio (AUC=0.750, 75% sensitivity and 67% specificity) for predicting nonresponsiveness. CONCLUSION: An increased preoperative MPV and the MPV-to-PLT ratio may predict poor wound healing following total abdominal hysterectomy.