Correlation of red blood cell parameters and platelet count among adult anemic patients attending Madda Walabu University Goba Referral Hospital, Goba, Southeast Ethiopia: A comparative cross-sectional study

Anemia is a worldwide public health problem and is associated with platelet disorders. The relationship between anemia and platelets is complex, with the association being either normal platelet count or thrombocytosis. Platelets are significantly decreased in patients with anemia, and thrombocytopenia has been documented in patients with severe anemia. There are few reports in the literature on the correlation between platelet count and red blood cell parameters in anemic patients. Therefore, this study aimed to compare the correlation between red blood cell parameters and platelet count in adult anemic patients attending Madda Walabu University Goba Referral Hospital (MWUGRH): Goba, Southeast Ethiopia, from May 30 to July 30, 2022. A cross-sectional comparative study was conducted among 352 subjects (176 anemic and 176 controls) who attended the hospital during the study period and were recruited using a convenient sampling technique. Sociodemographic and other relevant variables were collected using a structured questionnaire. Four milliliters of venous blood were collected and placed in a K2EDTA tube for analysis of hematologic parameters using the Sysmex XN-550 (Sysmex Corp., Japan) automated hematology analyzer; the hemoglobin value was used to determine anemia status. Data were entered into Epidata Manager, version 4.6.0.2, and analyzed using SPSS Statistical Software, version 25. The independent-sample t-test was used to compare parameters between groups, and correlation statistics was used to correlate parameters between groups. Chi-square was used at a 95% confidence interval, considering P < .05 statistically significant for association among categorical variables. Correlation analysis showed that platelet count was significantly, positively correlated with RBC, and negatively correlated with MCV, MCH, and MCHC (r (P) = 0.168 (.026) and -0.252 (.000), -0.275 (.001), -0.218 (.004), respectively). It was also negatively correlated with HGB and HCT levels in the healthy control (r (P) = -0.266 (.000) and -0.149 (.049) respectively). Morphologically, 44.32% were microcytic hypochromic anemia, 53.98% were normocytic normochromic anemia and 1.70% were macrocytic anemia. The findings showed that platelet count variation correlates well with red cell indices and morphologic types of anemia in adult anemic patients. Such correlation will enable physicians to make diagnoses and administer treatments.