title: Reduced platelet counts in neonatal respiratory distress syndrome.
abstract: Platelet counts were studied in preterm infants with the respiratory distress syndrome (RDS), excluding patients with significant perinatal and postnatal hypoxia. Counts fell to a nadir on day 4 (p less than 0.000). Exploratory analysis indicated that severity of RDS (levels of FiO2 and mean airway pressure), airleak syndrome, grade of intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) and low platelet count on day 1 were correlated with low platelet count on days 4 and 5. Further analysis by stepwise removal of each variable demonstrated statistically that FiO2 exerted a unique influence on the change in platelet count between day 1 and days 4/5 (p less than 0.002). It is concluded that the severity of RDS is strongly associated with the fall in platelet count in the first few postnatal days. The effect of IVH on platelet count may be secondary to the effect of the RDS.
authors.affiliation: Division of Neonatology, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kohelet
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Perlman
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hanna
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ballin
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000403:Airway Resistance; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001034:Apgar Score; D001724:Birth Weight; D002543:Cerebral Hemorrhage / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007230:Infant, Low Birth Weight; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008478:Mediastinal Emphysema / Q000097:blood; D010100:Oxygen / Q000378:metabolism; D010976:Platelet Count; D011030:Pneumothorax / Q000097:blood; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011656:Pulmonary Emphysema / Q000097:blood; D011659:Pulmonary Gas Exchange; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012121:Respiration, Artificial / Q000009:adverse effects; D012127:Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Newborn / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy
chemical_list: D010100:Oxygen