The superiority of 72 h leukocyte descent over CRP for mortality prediction in patients with sepsis

•Sepsis is a major cause of mortality in hospitalized patients.•White blood cell count (WBCC) and C-reactive protein (CRP) are inflammatory biomarkers.•72 h after hospitalization increased WBCC is associated with increased mortality.•WBCC rise is superior to CRP at 72 h in predicting mortality.•72 h WBCC changes is useful for assaying a patient's response to treatment. Detection of an eventful course in the early days of sepsis treatment is clinically relevant. The white blood cell count (WBCC) and C-reactive protein (CRP) are used in daily practice to monitor the intensity of the inflammatory response associated with sepsis. It is not entirely clear which of the two might better discriminate the outcomes of patients with sepsis. 30-day mortality was assessed in a cohort of patients who were hospitalized with sepsis in the departments of Internal Medicine in a tertiary medical center. Admission and 72-hour time points were analyzed to discriminate between patients with increased versus decreased 30 days mortality risk. The study included 195 patients. Higher 72 h CRP, WBCC, neutrophil counts and neutrophils to lymphocyte ratio were associated with increased mortality (p