The effects of acute infection on hematological parameters.

This study was undertaken to investigate the effects of acute infections (e.g., upper respiratory tract infection, acute gastroenteritis, urinary tract infection) on total blood count, the relation of these effects with acute phase reactants, and the level of improvement in the total blood count after the resolution of acute infection. A total of 113 previously healthy children between the ages of 6 months and 12 years were enrolled in the study. The control group consisted of 43 healthy children with proper age and gender distribution. A total of 55.7% of the patients had a decrease of 0.10-2.40 g/dL in Hb values on the 3rd day of acute infections. The comparisons of the 1st, 3rd, and 15th day Htc, RBC, MCV, MCHC, RDW values of the study and control groups revealed no significant differences. 7he 1st day SI, SIBC, and TS values of the study group were low in majority of the patients. Then they gradually increased, finally reaching at their normal levels on the 15th day. There was no significant difference between the sTfR and sTfR/log ferritin values of the study and control groups.