title: Platelet aggregometry cannot identify uremic platelet dysfunction in heart failure patients prior to cardiac surgery.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Patients with heart failure often have concomitant renal disease which can result in uremic platelet dysfunction. Determining whether uremia has affected platelets by platelet aggregometry can be challenging in these patients since they are often on antiplatelet medications. This study was undertaken to determine if platelet aggregation studies could identify heart failure patients at risk for uremic bleeding prior to cardiac surgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  Platelet aggregation studies from three groups were studied and compared: 17 heart failure patients with mild to moderate renal impairment, 17 heart failure patients without renal abnormalities and 17 healthy volunteers.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Platelet aggregation was severely impaired in both heart failure groups with and without renal abnormalities compared to healthy controls, and there were no significant differences in platelet aggregation in response to any of the agonists. There was a pan-decrease in platelet aggregation to all agonists in all heart failure patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Platelet aggregometry does not appear to be useful in measuring platelet dysfunction in heart failure patients with mild to moderate renal impairment.
authors: Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, The University of Texas McGovern Medical School at Houston, Houston, TX, USA.
authors: Josh
authors: J
authors: Showalter
authors: Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, The University of Texas McGovern Medical School at Houston, Houston, TX, USA.
authors: Nghia D
authors: ND
authors: Nguyen
authors: Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, The University of Texas McGovern Medical School at Houston, Houston, TX, USA.
authors: Samer
authors: S
authors: Baba
authors: Department of Biostatistics, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
authors: Chi Hyun
authors: CH
authors: Lee
authors: Department of Biostatistics, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
authors: Jing
authors: J
authors: Ning
authors: Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, The University of Texas McGovern Medical School at Houston, Houston, TX, USA.
authors: Kimberly
authors: K
authors: Klein
authors: Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, The University of Texas McGovern Medical School at Houston, Houston, TX, USA.
authors: M Amer
authors: MA
authors: Wahed
authors: Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
authors: Ashok
authors: A
authors: Tholpady
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001792:Blood Platelets / Q000502:physiology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000150:complications* / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010974:Platelet Aggregation / Q000502:physiology*; D010979:Platelet Function Tests / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014511:Uremia / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology*
keywords: aggregation; cardiac; dysfunction; platelet; surgery; uremia