Heme consults

Multiple causes (pseudothrombocytopenia, hemodilution, increased consumption, decreased production, increased sequestration, and immune-mediated destruction of platelets) alone or in combination make thrombocytopenia very common in intensive care unit (ICU) patients. Persisting thrombocytopenia in critically ill patients is associated with, but not causative of, increased mortality. Identification of the underlying cause is key for management decisions in individual patients. While platelet transfusion might be indicated in patients with impaired platelet production or increased platelet destruction, it could be deleterious in patients with increased intravascular platelet activation...