Correlation between Procalcitonin Levels and Platelet Count in Adult Sepsis Patients

Muhammad Azfarisputra Emha¹, Ronald Irwanto Natadidjaja²*

¹ Medical Doctor Study Program, Universitas Trisakti, Jakarta, Indonesia

² Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Trisakti, Jakarta, Indonesia

*Corresponding author

E-mail address: ronald@trisakti.ac.id

Abstract

Sepsis is a severe clinical condition caused by a systemic inflammatory response to infection, leading to organ dysfunction and becoming a major cause of morbidity and mortality in hospitals. Procalcitonin (PCT) is widely used as a biomarker of systemic bacterial infection, while platelets play important roles in hemostasis and inflammatory responses that are often impaired in sepsis. This study aimed to determine the correlation between procalcitonin and platelet levels in septic patients and to evaluate their complementary role in clinical assessment. This study used an analytical observational cross-sectional design with medical record data from 46 adult sepsis patients hospitalized in non-ICU wards at RSUD Tarakan Jakarta during September–November 2025. Subjects were selected using consecutive non-random sampling. Inclusion criteria included male or female patients aged ≥18 years with complete medical record data, including procalcitonin and platelet levels. Data were analyzed using univariate and bivariate analyses with the Spearman correlation test. The results showed that most subjects were male (58.7%) with a mean age of 59.43±11.321 years. The median procalcitonin level was 3.645 ng/mL (0.34–173.76 ng/mL), while the mean platelet count was 275.15±150.842 ×10³/µL. Spearman correlation analysis showed no significant correlation between procalcitonin and platelet levels (r = −0.211; p=0.160), indicating a weak negative correlation. In conclusion, procalcitonin and platelet levels were not significantly associated in septic patients. Therefore, both parameters should be evaluated separately and used complementarily in the clinical assessment of sepsis patients.

Keywords: sepsis; procalcitonin; platelets; biomarkers; correlation

Abstrak

Sepsis merupakan kondisi klinis berat akibat respons inflamasi sistemik terhadap infeksi yang menyebabkan gangguan fungsi organ dan menjadi penyebab utama morbiditas serta mortalitas di rumah sakit. Prokalsitonin (PCT) digunakan sebagai biomarker spesifik infeksi bakteri sistemik, sedangkan trombosit berperan dalam proses hemostasis dan respons inflamasi yang sering terganggu pada sepsis. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui korelasi antara kadar prokalsitonin dan trombosit pada pasien sepsis serta memberikan informasi klinis mengenai penggunaan kedua parameter tersebut dalam penilaian pasien sepsis. Penelitian ini menggunakan desain observasional analitik potong lintang dengan data rekam medis 46 pasien sepsis dewasa yang menjalani perawatan inap non-ICU di RSUD Tarakan Jakarta periode September–November 2025 dengan teknik consecutive non-random sampling. Kriteria inklusi meliputi pasien berusia ≥18 tahun dengan data kadar prokalsitonin dan trombosit yang lengkap. Analisis dilakukan secara univariat dan bivariat menggunakan uji korelasi Spearman. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa subjek penelitian didominasi laki-laki (58,7%) dengan rerata usia 59,43±11,321 tahun. Median kadar prokalsitonin adalah 3,645 ng/mL (0,34–173,76 ng/mL), sedangkan rerata kadar trombosit adalah 275,15±150,842 ×10³/µL. Hasil uji Spearman menunjukkan tidak terdapat hubungan yang bermakna antara kadar prokalsitonin dan trombosit (r = −0,211; p=0,160) dengan kekuatan korelasi lemah dan arah negatif. Kesimpulannya, kadar prokalsitonin dan trombosit tidak menunjukkan hubungan yang bermakna secara statistik pada pasien sepsis sehingga kedua parameter dapat digunakan secara komplementer dalam penilaian klinis pasien sepsis.

Kata kunci: sepsis; prokalsitonin; trombosit; biomarker; korelasi