Epidemiological characteristics and hematological changes in 62 patients with acute brucellosis

Objective To explore the epidemiological characteristics and hematological changes in patients with acute brucellosis. Methods Using forward-looking design, patients with confirmed diagnosis of acute brucellosis in Jinan Central Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University from 2013 to 2016 were involved in the study. Epidemiological characteristics (such as population and distribution) and hematological changes [such as hemoglobin (HB), red blood cell count (RBC), white blood cell count (WBC), platelet count (PLT), mean erythrocyte volume (MCV), mean erythrocyte hemoglobin (MCH), and mean erythrocyte hemoglobin concentration (MCHC)] were studied. Results Totally 62 patients with acute brucellosis were collected, including 45 males and 17 females, the gender ratio of male and female was 2.65 ∶ 1.00, with an average age of (42.37 ± 12.99) years old; and rural patients (39 cases) were higher than urban patients (23 cases). Among 62 patients with acute brucellosis, HB decreased (anemia) in 15 cases (24.19%), RBC decreased in 38 cases (61.29%), WBC decreased in 9 cases (14.52%), and PLT decreased in 6 cases (9.68%). Fifteen patients with acute brucellosis developed anemia symptoms, MCV was (86.12 ± 4.00) fl, MCH was (28.08 ± 2.01) pg, and MCHC was (325.27 ± 14.48) g/L, all of these values were within the normal reference range, indicating that they were normal cell anemia. Conclusions Of the patients with acute brucellosis, male patients are higher than female patients, and they are mainly rural residents. Hematological changes are mainly manifested as decreased HB, RBC, WBC, PLT. Key words: Brucellosis; Epidemiology; Hematology