title: Platelet mass index: is it a hope for reduction of platelet transfusion in NICU?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Thrombocytopenia is a very common problem in neonatal intensive care unit whose only specific treatment is platelet (PLT) transfusion which has well-known risks. Our aim is to test whether using PLT mass-based transfusion guideline would result in fewer transfusions or not.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred neonates with PLT count <100,000/μl were randomized into two groups: Group 1 (n = 50) was transfused according to PLT count-based guideline, whereas Group 2 (n = 50) was transfused according to PLT mass-based guideline. Subjects receiving one or more PLT transfusions and total number of PLT transfusions, hemorrhages, morbidity and mortality in both groups were recorded.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Demographic characteristics, PLT counts of the infants and clinical conditions associated with thrombocytopenia in both groups were not different. There was no reduction in the number of subjects receiving PLT transfusions (54% in Group 1, 50% in Group 2; p = 0.69) and in the number of PLT transfusions per infant (0.82 ± 1.13 versus 0.8 ± 1.23; p = 0.95). There was also no difference with respect to bleeding, morbidity and mortality between the groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Transfusion according to PLT mass or PLT count-based guideline does not seem to influence number of transfusions or the number of infants who were transfused.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Neonatal Intensive Care , Zeynep Kamil Maternity and Children's Training and Research Hospital , Istanbul , Turkey and.
authors.forename: Dilek
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Yavuzcan Öztürk
authors.affiliation: a Department of Neonatal Intensive Care , Zeynep Kamil Maternity and Children's Training and Research Hospital , Istanbul , Turkey and.
authors.forename: Seçil
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Erçin
authors.affiliation: b Department of Pediatrics , Koc University School of Medicine , Istanbul , Turkey.
authors.forename: Tuğba
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Gürsoy
authors.forename: Güner
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Karatekın
authors.affiliation: a Department of Neonatal Intensive Care , Zeynep Kamil Maternity and Children's Training and Research Hospital , Istanbul , Turkey and.
authors.forename: Fahri
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ovalı
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D007363:Intensive Care Units, Neonatal / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D010976:Platelet Count; D017713:Platelet Transfusion / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013921:Thrombocytopenia / Q000097:blood* / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology
keywords: Neonatal intensive care; newborn; premature; thrombocytopenia