\n Prognostic importance of thrombocyte indices in children with carbon monoxide poisoning \n \n Abstract \n \n Objective: Carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning is still being a major cause of morbidity and mortality all over the world. Although the role of platelet functions in CO poisoning is not clear, increased platelet activation and aggregation had been reported previously. Increased thrombotic tendency due to endothelial damage, increased platelet stickiness, and alterations in the fibrinolytic pathway occurs in CO poisoning. The aim of our study was to determine whether platelet indices provide clinical benefit or not in children with CO poisoning. \n \n Materials and Methods: We retrospectively reviwed the records of children with the diagnosis of CO poisoning who admitted to the pediatric emergency departments of Konya Beyhekim State Hospital and Necmettin Erbakan University Meram Medical Faculty. A total of 92 children with CO poisoning and 62 age- and gender-matched healthy controls were included in the study. \n \n Results: While mean platelet volume (MPV) and platelet distribution width (PDW) levels were significantly higher (9,34±0,55 vs 9,78±0,97fL, p=0.001 ; 11,46±2,64 vs 10,57±1,41, retrospectively, p=0.007), platelet count and plateletcrit (PCT) (324,05±82,07 vs 357,27±89,70 x109 p=0.015 ; 0,31±0,06 vs 0,33±0,07, retrospectively, p=0.039) were significantly lower in patients with CO poisoning. MPV levels were also significantly higher in patients with a carboxy hemoglobin (COHb) level higher than 20, when compared with COHb levels between 10-20 (9,40±0,84 vs 10,08±1,22 fL, p=0.003). \n \n Conclusion: Our results showed that platelet indices MPV and PDW are markedly elevated in patients with CO poisoning while platelet count and PCT were decreased. MPV and PDW levels, which reflect the changes in platelet activation and function, may predict the development of especially thromboembolic complications in the course of CO poisoning. MPV and PDW levels may be useful in prognostic estimation of CO poisoning. \n \n Keywords: carbon monoxide; children; platelet indices; poisoning \n \n \n