Platelet 39

Everyone should be clear that platelets play an important role in the human body. As an indispensable substance in human blood, the abundance or deficiency of platelets also affects human health. If a person is injured and it is difficult to stop his bleeding, this person most likely has low platelets, because low platelets slow down the speed at which a person's blood stops bleeding. So if a person goes to the hospital and finds out that his platelet count is only 39, how should this situation be solved?

Platelets are important components involved in blood coagulation. The direct impact of thrombocytopenia is that it hinders blood clotting and causes bleeding. Bleeding under the skin is called purpura. When the platelet count drops significantly, severe bleeding may occur and even be life-threatening. Thrombocytopenia can be due to decreased platelet production, increased platelet destruction, or abnormal platelet distribution.

For example, under normal circumstances, about 20% of platelets are stored in the spleen, but when the spleen is extremely enlarged, 80% of the platelets can remain in the spleen, causing a significant decrease in the platelet count in the blood. Accelerated platelet destruction is a common cause of thrombocytopenia. The lifespan of platelets can be reduced from the usual 10 days or so to less than 1 day. Among the causes of accelerated platelet destruction, allergic reaction is the most common. This disease is divided into acute and chronic types. Acute thrombocytopenic purpura is more common in children.

There is often a history of infection 1 to 3 weeks or longer before the onset of the disease, such as upper respiratory tract infection, measles, rubella, chickenpox, diarrhea, etc. The onset is often sudden, and fever may occur; bleeding is a prominent clinical manifestation, usually manifested as purpura, nasal or gingival bleeding, and may also be gastrointestinal or urinary tract bleeding; in a few cases, fatal intracranial hemorrhage may occur within 1 to 2 weeks of onset. Chronic thrombocytopenic purpura is more common in adults. It generally has a slow onset and is mainly manifested by long-term repeated bleeding with a mild degree of bleeding. Such changes may be caused by medications. Thrombocytopenic purpura is often caused by an allergic reaction to a drug. Drugs that can induce thrombocytopenic purpura include barbiturates, chloramphenicol, chlorothiazide, quinidine, gold preparations, sulfonamides, salicylates, etc. Patients often develop symptoms within a few hours after taking the medicine, first with fever, chills, itchy skin, and fatigue, followed by purpura and mucosal bleeding, and oral ulcers.

After discontinuation of the relevant drugs, the symptoms generally disappear in about 1 week; however, those caused by quinidine may continue for 10 to 14 days after discontinuation of the drug; those caused by gold preparations may take several months after discontinuation of the drug for the platelet count in the blood to return to normal. If the patient is no longer exposed to such drugs, the platelet count may no longer decrease; if he is exposed to the relevant drugs again, the platelet count may decrease again. This condition is different from bone marrow suppression, in which recovery is often slow or not possible.