title: Transfusion-associated fall in platelet count in very low birthweight infants.
abstract: Thirty-three infants with a birthweight of less than 1500 g were investigated retrospectively for the incidence and aetiology of thrombocytopenia occurring during the first week of life. The platelet count fell below 100 x 10(9)/l in 16 infants (48%). There was a moderately strong inverse correlation between the platelet count at its nadir during the first week or the first value below 100 x 10(9)/l and the percentage of blood volume transfused prior to this (r = -0.61; P less than 0.0001). When the platelet count was expressed as a percentage of the initial count the correlation was -0.74 (P less than 0.0001). The results were not affected by the elimination of the 10 infants with clinical conditions regarded as a probable cause of thrombocytopenia. The fitted least-squares regression line suggests that a transfusion equal to 10% of the blood volume on average reduced the platelet count by 19 x 10(9)/l or by 7% in these very low birthweight infants during the first week of life.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, Christchurch Hospital, New Zealand.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Austin
authors.forename: B A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Darlow
mesh_terms: D001724:Birth Weight; D001803:Blood Transfusion; D001810:Blood Volume; D004761:Enterocolitis, Pseudomembranous / Q000097:blood; D005078:Exchange Transfusion, Whole Blood; D006801:Humans; D007230:Infant, Low Birth Weight / Q000097:blood*; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007235:Infant, Premature, Diseases / Q000097:blood*; D010976:Platelet Count; D012307:Risk Factors; D018805:Sepsis / Q000097:blood; D013921:Thrombocytopenia / Q000097:blood*