A platelet count is a lab test to measure how many platelets you have in your blood. Platelets are parts of the blood that helps the blood clot. They are smaller than red or white blood cells.
Thrombocytopenia occurs when your bone marrow doesn’t make enough platelets. Platelets are blood cells that form blood clots to help stop bleeding. People with this condition may bleed a lot and the bleeding may be hard to stop.
Factors that can decrease platelet production include:
- A typical person has a platelet count of between 150,000 and 250,000 per microlitre of blood. About 80 to 90 per cent of patients with dengue will have levels below 100,000, while 10 to 20 per cent of patients will see critically low levels of 20,000 or less.
- Leukemia and other cancers.
- Some types of anemia.
- Viral infections, such as hepatitis C or HIV.
- Chemotherapy drugs and radiation therapy.
- Heavy alcohol consumption.
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.