| Thrombocytopenia | |
|---|---|
| Other names | Thrombocytopaenia, thrombopenia |
 | |
| A photomicrograph of the blood showing thrombocytopenia | |
| Specialty | Hematology |
| Causes | Bone marrow not making enough platelets, body destroying platelets, spleen holding too many platelets[1] |
| Diagnostic method | Complete blood count[1] |
| Treatment | None, immunosuppressants, platelet transfusion, surgical removal of the spleen[1] |
In hematology, thrombocytopenia is a condition characterized by abnormally low levels of platelets (also known as thrombocytes) in the blood.[2] Low levels of platelets in turn may lead to prolonged or excessive bleeding. It is the most common coagulation disorder among intensive care patients and is seen in a fifth of medical patients and a third of surgical patients.[3]
A normal human platelet count ranges from 150,000 to 450,000 platelets/microliter (μL) of blood.[4] Values outside this range do not necessarily indicate disease. One common definition of thrombocytopenia requiring emergency treatment is a platelet count below 50,000/μL.[5] Thrombocytopenia can be contrasted with the conditions associated with an abnormally high level of platelets in the blood – thrombocythemia (when the cause is unknown), and thrombocytosis (when the cause is known).[6][7]
- ^ a b c "Thrombocytopenia". National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI). U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Archived from the original on 25 November 2020. Retrieved 4 January 2018.
- ^ Deutschman CS, Neligan PJ (2010). Evidence-based Practice of Critical Care. Elsevier Health Sciences. ISBN 978-1416054764. Archived from the original on 2023-01-11. Retrieved 2015-04-30.
- ^ Marini JJ, Dries DJ (2019). Critical care medicine: the essentials and more. Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer. ISBN 978-1-4963-0291-5. OCLC 1060947164.
- ^ "Platelet count". MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia. U.S. National Library of Medicine. Archived from the original on 2015-04-05. Retrieved 2015-05-01.
- ^ "What Is Thrombocytopenia?". National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI). U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Archived from the original on 2015-05-18. Retrieved 2015-05-01.
- ^ Schafer AI (March 2004). "Thrombocytosis". The New England Journal of Medicine. 350 (12): 1211–1219. doi:10.1056/NEJMra035363. PMID 15028825.
- ^ "Thrombocythemia and Thrombocytosis". National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI). U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Archived from the original on 14 June 2019. Retrieved 5 August 2020.