This book describes Thrombocytopenia (Abnormally Low Platelets), Diagnosis and Treatment and Related Diseases

Today I have a patient who was found to have low platelets (34,000 per micro-liter blood) as compared to normal (150,000 to 400,000) on a pre-employment medical examination.

He said that he bruises easily after an injury.

He had no fever or infection such as dengue fever which can lower blood counts.

He has no enlarged spleen or liver which may suggest Immune Thrombocytopenia Purpura,

However his brother also has low platelets which suggest hereditary thrombocytopenia or low platelets.

I reassured him and suggested avoiding skin or body injuries which in the case of low platelets may cause excess bleeding.

Thrombocytopenia (Abnormally Low Platelets) is a medical disorder in which the blood has a less than the normal number of blood cell fragments termed platelets.

Platelets are formed in the bone marrow together with other kinds of blood cells.

They join together (clot) to seal small cuts or tears on blood vessel walls and stop bleeding that may happen if a blood vessel is injured.

Since a clot also is termed a thrombus, platelets also are termed thrombocytes.

The normal platelet count in adults differs from 150,000 to 450,000 platelets per micro-liter of blood.

A blood cell count of less than 150,000 platelets per micro-liter is less than the normal value.

If the blood platelet count falls lower than normal, the person has thrombocytopenia.

When the blood has insufficient platelets, mild to severe bleeding can happen.

If there is not adequate platelets, bleeding can happen inside the body (internal bleeding) or underneath or from the skin (external bleeding).

Purpura is produced by bleeding from small blood vessels under the skin.

People who have low platelets may have bleeding that induces tiny red or purple dots on the skin.

These tiny pin-sized red dots are termed petechiae.

The danger for serious bleeding does not happen until the count becomes very low (less than 10,000 or 20,000 platelets per micro-liter).

Mild bleeding occasionally happens when the count is fewer than 50,000 platelets per micro-liter.

Thrombocytopenia can happen alone.

Or, it can form as a complication of another disease, such as cancer or a viral infection.

In some cases, it is a chronic disorder that lasts for years.

In other cases, it happens suddenly and dramatically.

The causes of Thrombocytopenia are:

The body's bone marrow does not produce adequate platelets.

The bone marrow produces adequate platelets but the body antibodies damages and destroys the platelets or makes use of the platelets.

The spleen comprises too many platelets in its organ tissues.

Most cases of thrombocytopenia normally have no symptoms.

Low platelets are often observed on a routine blood test.

Mild to severe bleeding causes the principal signs and symptoms of thrombocytopenia.

People who have low platelets also may have bleeding from the nose and gums or monthly menses

Bleeding can happen:

Internal bleeding

External bleeding

Diagnosis

Full blood count

Blood smear

Bone marrow tests

Treatment for low platelets is dependent on its cause and severity.

The main purpose of treatment is to prevent death and disability brought about by bleeding.

If the low platelets disorder is mild, there is no need for treatment.

Other treatments

Steroids

Immunosupressants

Transfusion of platelets

Splenectomy

TABLE OF CONTENT

Introduction

Chapter 1 Thrombocytopenia

Chapter 2 Causes

Chapter 3 Symptoms

Chapter 4 Diagnosis

Chapter 5 Treatment

Chapter 6 Prognosis

Chapter 7 Immune Thrombocytopenia

Chapter 8 High Platelets

Epilogue