title: Platelet volume: laboratory measurement and clinical application.
abstract: Modern cell analyzers routinely produce platelet indices, but many clinicians do not utilize them in clinical decision-making. In part this can be attributed to difficulties with their laboratory measurement. The mean platelet volume is dependent on a number of variables, including time of analysis after venepuncture, method of analysis, anticoagulant used and specimen storage temperature. The influence of these laboratory variables is significant and reproducible mean platelet volumes are dependent on standardized laboratory methodology. When pre-analysis factors are controlled, alterations in platelet volume can be demonstrated in a number of disease states and assessment of platelet volume can be useful in the monitoring and diagnosis of patients. An understanding of the pathophysiology of alterations in platelet volume and of the inverse relationship between platelet volume and count is a prerequisite for the successful clinical application of platelet volume measurements.
authors.affiliation: Haematology Department, Wellington Hospital and School of Medicine, Newtown, New Zealand.
authors.forename: S R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Jackson
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Carter
mesh_terms: D000925:Anticoagulants / Q000494:pharmacology; D001792:Blood Platelets / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells; D048429:Cell Size / Q000187:drug effects; D016922:Cellular Senescence; D004194:Disease; D005260:Female; D006405:Hematology / Q000295:instrumentation; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008533:Megakaryocytes / Q000166:cytology; D010976:Platelet Count; D010979:Platelet Function Tests; D011247:Pregnancy; D012016:Reference Values; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology
chemical_list: D000925:Anticoagulants