Significance of hypophosphatemia as an indicator of Gram negative sepsis

Abstract

Hypophosphatemia has long been reported to be associated with sepsis and has been correlated with sepsis severity. This prospective study was undertaken at the SKIMS university for a period of two and a half years to determine whether hypophosphatemia could serve as a rapid lab parameter in sepsis patients especially Gram negative sepsis. One hundred patients of sepsis, documented by blood culture were studied. Patients were divided into two groups. First group included 48 patients with Gram positive sepsis and second group included 52 patients with Gram negative sepsis. All the information was collected including physical examination, laboratory parameters, haematological and biochemical analysis, chest x ray and cultures. Hypophosphatemia was seen in 65.4% of Gram negative patients and only in 27.1% of gram positive patients. Among hypophosphatemic patients significant difference was noted in pulse, systolic BP, blood sugar levels, bilirubin and prothrombin time, whereas insignificant difference was noted in TLC, platelet count, urea, creatinine, calcium and albumin levels.