Introduction
Platelets are now considered to be immune and inflammatory agents as well as key cells in coagulation, and as such have been implicated in the pathophysiology of sepsis [1]. Thrombocytopenia is associated with sepsis severity and poor prognosis, and hyperactivated platelets probably contribute to microvascular thrombosis and organ failure. In the present study, we evaluated platelet activation markers as potential predictive markers of sepsis and of mortality among four commonly encountered populations of patients admitted to ICUs.