EDTA DEPENDENT ARTIFACTUAL THROMBOCYTOPENIA AND THE EFFECT OF ALTERNATE ANTICOAGULANT.

DR.SHELLY VASHISHT; DR.SUMAN LATA KHATRI

Volume : VI, Issue : IV, April - 2017

EDTA DEPENDENT ARTIFACTUAL THROMBOCYTOPENIA AND THE EFFECT OF ALTERNATE ANTICOAGULANT.

Dr. Shelly Vashisht, Dr. Suman Lata Khatri

Abstract :

BACKGROUND- Artifactual thrombocytopenia is a condition in which there is falsely lowered platelet count in the patients who have thrombocytopenia but the absence of any sign of bleeding like petechaie or echymoses . This false low platelet count due to Use of EDTA is called as pseudothrombocytopenia, which is a type of artifactual thrombocytopenia. The aim of this study was to compare the platelet count in EDTA blood samples showing psuedothrombocytopenia and by using other alternative anticoagulants.

MATERIAL AND METHOD- This study was conducted in the haematology department of the central laboratory of the NIMS medical college and hospital, Jaipur. OPD and IPD patient were evaluated for thrombocytopenia caused by use of EDTA anticoagulant in whole blood sample. Patients having low platelet count and with clumping or aggregates on peripheral blood film were selected. Samples of same patient were taken for further evaluation using alternative anticoagulant like sodium citrate and heparin.

RESULTS� A total of 50 patients within the age group of 20 to70 years were selected who has pseudothrombocytopenia. EDTA anticoagulated blood sample has platelet count in the range of 20x10⁹l to 149x10⁹l and samples from same patient anticoagulated with citrate has platelet count in the range of 41x10⁹l to312x10⁹l and heparin anticoagulated sample has platelet count in the range of 29x10⁹l to 210x10⁹l. platelet counts decreased dramatically in EDTA anticoagulated samples as compare to citrate and heparin anticoagulated samples post four hour of collection.

Conclusion:- Manual microscopic examination of the peripheral blood films should be done in every case with low platelet count for platelet clumping or aggregation, or in isolated thrombocytopenia flaaged in hematology analyser. Alternate anticoagulant must be used for accurate platelet count and precise diagnosis.