title: Transient EDTA-dependent pseudothrombocytopenia in a patient with sepsis.
abstract: Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid-dependent pseudothrombocytopenia (EDTA-PTCP) is the phenomenon of a spurious low platelet count due to antiplatelet antibodies that cause platelet clumping in blood anticoagulated with EDTA. We describe a case of EDTA-PTCP that appeared transiently with the development of sepsis. A 50-year-old man underwent Bentall's aortic root replacement for acute aortic dissection with aortic insufficiency. Postoperatively the patient suffered paralytic ileus followed by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus enteritis and septicemia with endotoxemia. EDTA-PTCP appeared with the development of sepsis, and disappeared with its resolution. To avoid incorrect diagnoses and inappropriate treatment, EDTA-PTCP should always be considered as a possible cause of reported low platelet counts, even in patients with sepsis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Oita Medical University, Hasama-machi, Japan. mmori@oita-med.ac.jp
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mori
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kudo
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yoshitake
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ito
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Shinguu
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Noguchi
mesh_terms: D000784:Aortic Dissection / Q000601:surgery; D000925:Anticoagulants / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000494:pharmacology; D001014:Aortic Aneurysm / Q000601:surgery; D004492:Edetic Acid / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010976:Platelet Count / Q000187:drug effects; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D018805:Sepsis / Q000150:complications* / Q000382:microbiology; D013921:Thrombocytopenia / Q000209:etiology*
chemical_list: D000925:Anticoagulants; D004492:Edetic Acid