Chapter: Clinical Cases in Anesthesia : Thrombocytopenia In Pregnancy
What tests are available to evaluate platelet function?
What tests are available to evaluate platelet function?
The patient who presents with a platelet
disorder is dif-ficult to evaluate with standard laboratory tests because both
platelet quantity and quality must be assessed. Tests of platelet function have
been criticized for being difficult to perform, lacking reproducibility, and
being of questionable clinical relevance. The ideal test would be easy to
perform, inexpensive, and would not require specialized equipment, with results
that could be reproduced and correlate with outcome. Bedside tests of
coagulation include the bleeding time test, thromboelastography (Haemoscope
Corporation, Skokie, IL), and newer tests such as the platelet function
analyzer, PFA-100 (Dade Behring, Newark, DE).
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