title: Current Status of Platelet Transfusion in Pediatric Patients.
abstract: Outside the neonatal period, most platelets that are transfused to pediatric patients are given to those who are thrombocytopenic secondary to malignancy and associated therapy and/or hematopoietic progenitor cell transplant, or to those with significant bleeding associated with surgery, especially cardiac surgery. Indications for platelet transfusion, doses, and other practices for children largely mimic adult platelet transfusion protocols because there are few pediatric-specific studies in this area. Pediatric platelet transfusion practices would benefit from focused pediatric research. The appropriate indications and doses for platelet transfusions in oncology, hematopoietic progenitor cell transplant, and cardiac surgery patients need to be determined.
authors: Department of Laboratory Medicine and Joint Program of Transfusion Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.. Electronic address: steven.sloan@childrens.harvard.edu.
authors: Steven R
authors: SR
authors: Sloan
authors: Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Stony Brook Children's Hospital, Stony Brook, NY; Stony Brook University Cancer Center, Stony Brook University School of Medicine, Stony Brook, NY.
authors: Robert I
authors: RI
authors: Parker
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002315:Cardiopulmonary Bypass; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006405:Hematology / Q000379:methods* / Q000639:trends*; D006410:Hematopoiesis; D006470:Hemorrhage / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications; D010777:Photochemistry; D010976:Platelet Count; D017713:Platelet Transfusion / Q000379:methods*; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D013696:Temperature; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Guidelines; Pediatrics; Platelet transfusion