Thrombocytopenia Research Paper

Thrombocytopenia is a condition in which the body does not have a normal number of platelets in the blood. Blood is made up of three major cell types: red blood cells, which carry oxygen throughout the body; white blood cells, which help fight infection; and, platelets, which stick together at the site of a cut or wound to form a clot to stop the bleeding. People who have thrombocytopenia don’t have enough platelets to form a blood clot, and so they may bleed excessively when they are cut. (nhlbi.nih.gov, 2013) Blood cells and platelets are made in the bone marrow, which is the spongy tissue inside the bones. There may be certain factors that may interfere with the body’s normal ability to make platelets. There is times when the

Drinking too much alcohol Thrombocytopenia causes bleeding which can be internal or external. If you get poked or hit you can bleed internal and cause a hematoma that might not stop bleeding for a very long time. At times the only way you know if you have been bleeding internally you might notice blood in your urine or in you stool or even bleeding from the rectum. If you cut yourself the bleeding can go on for a long time it may not be able to stop on its own. For women with thrombocytopenia, during their menstrual cycle, the bleeding is heavier. (nhlbi.nih.gov, 2013) Thrombocytopenia is usually detected incidentally from routine blood work done for other reasons. Platelets are a component of the complete blood count (CBC) which also contains information on red blood cells and white blood cells. If thrombocytopenia is seen for the first time, it is prudent to repeat the complete blood count in order to exclude pseudothrombocytopenia. If the repeat CBC confirms low platelet counts, then further evaluation can begin. A comprehensive review of the other components of the CBC is one of the most important steps in the evaluation of low platelet count. The CBC can tell us whether other blood disorders may be present, such as, anemia (low red cell count or hemoglobin), erythrocytosis (high red blood cell count or hemoglobin), leukopenia (low white cells count), or leukocytosis (elevated white blood cell count). These abnormalities may suggest bone marrow problems as the potential

For example, if you have heparin-induced thrombocytopenia, your doctor will direct you to stop using heparin and prescribe a different blood-thinning drug. Your thrombocytopenia may persist for a week or more despite stopping all heparin therapy. If your platelet level become too low, your doctor can replace blood loss with transfusions of packed red blood cells or platelets. If other treatment does not help your doctor my recommend a splenectomy. An enlarged spleen may harbor too many platelets, causing a decrease in the number of platelets in circulation. (mayo clinic,