(1) Background: Current findings emphasize the potential contribution of platelets to the immunological response after severe trauma. As clinical relevance remains unclear, this study aims to analyze the correlation between platelets and lung dysfunction in severely injured patients. (2) Methods: We retrospectively enrolled all multiple trauma patients presenting to our level 1 trauma center from 2015 to 2016 with an Injury-Severity Score (ISS) ≥ 16. Apart from demographic data, platelet counts and PaO2/FiO2 as an approximate indicator for lung physiology were analyzed and correlated on subsequent days after admission. (3) Results: 83 patients with a median ISS of 22 (IQR 18-36) were included. Compared to day 1, platelet counts were decreased on day 3 (p ≤ 0.001). Platelet counts were significantly lower on day 3 in patients with an ISS ≥ 35 (p = 0.011). There were no differences regarding PaO2/FiO2 index. Correlation analysis revealed a positive link between increased platelet counts and PaO2/FiO2 index on day 1 only in severely injured patients (p = 0.007). (4) Conclusions: This work supports the concept of platelets modulating the posttraumatic immune response by affecting lung dysfunction in the early phase after multiple trauma in dependence of injury severity. Our findings contribute to the understanding of the impact of platelets on systemic processes in multiple trauma patients.
Keywords: immune system; platelets; posttraumatic hyperinflammation; posttraumatic lung dysfunction; posttraumatic organ failure; trauma.