Evaluation of red cell distribution width (RDW) as a septic marker in comparison with clinical scores and C-reactive protein

Abstract

Abstract Background Challenges of diagnosing and treating sepsis only seem more difficult as incidence increases, patients become older and sicker, and pathogenic organisms evolve. New understanding of inflammatory mediators and pathways, immunity, and genetic variability in this disease state suggests that the current definitions of SIRS, sepsis, severe sepsis, and septic shock are oversimplified. Objective The aim of our study is to evaluate the level of RDW, CRP and clinical scores "SOFA and APACHI" as markers in patients with sepsis and their levels on the outcome and resolution of sepsis in ICU. Methodology We conducted a prospective observational controlled study on 90 adult persons of both sex, 45 of them are adult patients and served as the study group (Group I), and the other 45 are healthy adult volunteers and served as the control group (Group II). The study group represented patients admitted to the ICU of Intensive Care Unit at Damanhour Medical National Institute who fulfilled the diagnostic criteria for sepsis, severe sepsis and septic shock on arrival to ICU according to the SCCM/ ESICM/ ACCP/ ATS/SIS International Sepsis Definitions Conference. Results. In the present study we found that CRP measured on admission was not a predictor of mortality, while that measured at day 5 and day 10 predicted mortality, where there was no statistically significant difference in CRP levels between survivors and non-survivors at the day of admission while there were statistically significant differences between survivors and non survivors according to CRP levels at day 5 (p = 0.001*) and at day 10 (p = 0.001*). It was found also that there were statistically significant differences between survivors and non-survivors according to RDW at day 1(p = 0.011*) and at day 5(p = 0.009*), at day 10 was found there was no statistically significant difference between survivors and non-survivors (p = 0.338). Conclusion RDW is a new promising cheap and readily available biomarker that can be able to diagnose patients with sepsis with accuracy comparable to CRP. Also, RDW at admission is able to predict mortality.