Premium
Platelet transfusion improves clot formation and platelet function in severely thrombocytopenic haematology patients
Author(s) -
Karlström Cecilia,
Gryfelt Gunilla,
Schmied Laurent,
Meinke Stephan,
Höglund Petter
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
british journal of haematology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.907
H-Index - 186
eISSN - 1365-2141
pISSN - 0007-1048
DOI - 10.1111/bjh.17820
Subject(s) - medicine , platelet , platelet transfusion , thromboelastometry , hematology , blood product , transfusion medicine , blood transfusion , anesthesia , surgery
Summary Prophylactic platelet (PLT) transfusion is a common practice in severely thrombocytopenic patients that reduces mortality, but responses to platelet transfusions are variable and difficult to predict in individual patients. In this prospective study, we evaluated the outcome of PLT transfusions in 40 patients with haematological malignancies, linking corrected count increment (CCI) to clot formation and agonist‐induced platelet activation after transfusion. The CCI was highly variable between patients and 34% showed no response (1‐h CCI < 7,5). Short time since the last PLT transfusion and extended storage time of the PLT product were linked to poor transfusion response, while patient sex, C‐reactive protein or the number of chemotherapy cycles prior to transfusion did not influence transfusion outcome. High CCI and good PLT responsiveness to agonist stimulation predicted efficient clot formation in rotational thromboelastometry, but transfusion did not restore poor PLT function in patients to the level of healthy controls. Our study provides new insights into factors affecting PLT transfusion outcome in haematology patients with severe thrombocytopenia, and suggests that the thrombocytopenic environment, or disease‐associated factors, may hamper platelet responsiveness.