title: Thrombocytopenia in Paediatric ICU: Incidence, Transfusion Requirement and Role as Prognostic Indicator.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Thrombocytopenia is defined as platelet count less than 150×10(9)/L, it has a greater incidence in Intensive Care Units (ICUs) compared to wards and its most common cause is increased platelet consumption.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate incidence of thrombocytopenia, platelet transfusions requirement, associated diseases and relationship between thrombocytopenia and mortality.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eleven months hospital records between October 2013 and August 2014 of the PICU in a tertiary care teaching hospital was investigated retrospectively and 275 critically ill children formed the sample.
  
  
  METHODS
  Odds ratio with 95% confidence interval was used. Probability value (p-value) of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results were confirmed using χ(2) test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Out of 275 patients {168 males (61.09%) and 107 females (38.91%)}, 89 patients had thrombocytopenia. Out of these 89 patients, 43 patients (48.31%) had severe, 24 patients (27.91%) had moderate and 22 patients (24.72%) had mild thrombocytopenia. The 43 patients having severe thrombocytopenia received platelet transfusion and out of these 43 patients 24 (55.81%) received more than one transfusion and 18 (41.86%) of the transfused patients expired. Among thrombocytopaenic patients, Sepsis (25.84%) was the most common diagnosis followed by Pneumonia (19.10%), Meningitis (13.48%), Diabetic Ketoacidosis (5.62%), Enteric fever (7.86%), Tubercular Meningitis (3.37%), Infantile Tremor Syndrome (2.25%), Congenital heart disease (5.62%), Burns(3.37%), Brain Haemorrhage (2.25%%), Hepatic abscess (1.12%), Chronic Renal Failure (3.37%), Malaria (2.25%) and Hepatitis (4.49%). There is a statistically significant association between thrombocytopenia and mortality. A significant association was established between mortality in thrombocytopenic patients of sepsis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Thrombocytopenia is commonly associated with sepsis. Mortality rate is higher in thrombocytopenic patients.
authors.affiliation: Assistant Professor, Department of Pediatrics, Guru Gobind Singh Medical College and Hospital , Faridkot, Punjab, India .
authors.forename: Amarpreet
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kaur
authors.affiliation: Professor and Head, Department of Pediatrics, Guru Gobind Singh Medical College and Hospital , Faridkot, Punjab, India .
authors.forename: Gurmeet Kaur
authors.initials: GK
authors.lastname: Sethi
authors.affiliation: Professor, Department of Pediatrics, Guru Gobind Singh Medical College and Hospital , Faridkot, Punjab, India .
authors.forename: Ram Kumar
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Goyal
authors.affiliation: Post Graduate Student, Department of Pediatrics, Guru Gobind Singh Medical College and Hospital , Faridkot, Punjab, India .
authors.forename: Avneet
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kaur
authors.affiliation: Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine, Guru Gobind Singh Medical College and Hospital , Faridkot, Punjab, India .
authors.forename: Rupinderjeet
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kaur
authors.affiliation: Assistant Professor, Department of Pediatrics, Guru Gobind Singh Medical College and Hospital , Faridkot, Punjab, India .
authors.forename: Shashi Kant
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Dhir
authors.affiliation: Assistant Professor, Department of Pediatrics, Guru Gobind Singh Medical College and Hospital , Faridkot, Punjab, India .
authors.forename: Harshvardhan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Gupta
keywords: PICU; Platelet transfusion
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