0
A test for platelet-associated antibodies shows whether you have antibodies that are directed against platelets in your blood.
How the test is performedBlood is typically drawn from a vein, usually from the inside of the elbow or the back of the hand. The area is cleaned with germ-killing medicine (antiseptic). The health care provider wraps an elastic band around the upper arm to apply pressure to the area and make the vein swell with blood.
Next, the health care provider gently inserts a needle into the vein. The blood collects into an airtight vial or tube attached to the needle. The elastic band is removed from your arm. Once the blood has been collected, the needle is removed, and the puncture site is covered to stop any bleeding.
In infants or young children, a sharp tool called a lancet may be used to puncture the skin and make it bleed. The blood collects into a small glass tube called a pipette, or onto a slide or test strip. A bandage may be placed over the area if there is any bleeding.
How to prepare for the testNo special preparation is necessary for adults.
How the test will feelWhen the needle is inserted to draw blood, some people feel moderate pain, while others feel only a prick or stinging sensation. Afterward, there may be some throbbing.
Why the test is performedThis test may be ordered when you have a low platelet count (thrombocytopenia). It is used to detect antibodies against platelets.
Normal ValuesA negative test is normal.
Normal value ranges may vary slightly among different laboratories. Talk to your doctor about the meaning of your specific test results.
What abnormal results meanAbnormal results show that you have antiplatelet antibodies. These are proteins made by the body that attach to platelets and destroy them. This causes a low platelet count, which can lead to excessive bleeding.
Antiplatelet antibodies may appear in the blood for unknown reasons (idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura), or as a side effect of certain drugs such as heparin. These drugs can sometimes cause the immune system to identify its own platelets as abnormal or foreign, and attack them.
What the risks areVeins and arteries vary in size from one patient to another, and from one side of the body to the other. Obtaining a blood sample from some people may be more difficult than from others.
Other risks associated with having blood drawn are slight but may include:
- Excessive bleeding
- Fainting or feeling light-headed
- Hematoma (blood accumulating under the skin)
- Infection (a slight risk any time the skin is broken)
Current tests cannot tell for sure whether a low platelet count (thrombocytopenia) is caused by immune problems. Therefore, your doctor will make a diagnosis based on other tests and examinations.
This test is often performed because you have a bleeding problem. Bleeding may be more of a risk for you than for people who do not have bleeding problems.
ReferencesMcMillan R. Hemorrhagic disorders: Abnormalities of platelet and vascular function. In: Goldman L, Ausiello D, eds. Cecil Medicine. 23rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier;2007:chap 179.
Wiki User
∙ 13y ago
Wiki User
∙ 12y agoA test for platelet-associated antibodies shows whether you have antibodies that are directed against platelets in your blood.
How the test is performedA blood sample is needed. For information on how this is done, see: Venipuncture
How to prepare for the testNo special preparation is necessary for adults.
How the test will feelWhen the needle is inserted to draw blood, some people feel moderate pain, while others feel only a prick or stinging sensation. Afterward, there may be some throbbing.
Why the test is performedThis test may be ordered when you have a low platelet count (thrombocytopenia). It is used to detect antibodies against platelets.
Normal ValuesA negative test is normal.
Normal value ranges may vary slightly among different laboratories. Talk to your doctor about the meaning of your specific test results.
What abnormal results meanAbnormal results show that you have antiplatelet antibodies. These are proteins made by your body that attach to platelets and destroy them. This causes a low platelet count, which can lead to excessive bleeding.
Antiplatelet antibodies may appear in the blood for unknown reasons (idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura), or as a side effect of certain drugs such as gold heparin, quinidine, and quinine. These drugs can sometimes cause the immune system to identify its own platelets as abnormal or foreign, and attack them.
The exact interpretation of the results of this test is controversial.
What the risks areVeins and arteries vary in size from one patient to another, and from one side of the body to the other. Obtaining a blood sample from some people may be more difficult than from others.
Other risks associated with having blood drawn are slight but may include:
- Excessive bleeding
- Fainting or feeling light-headed
- Hematoma (blood accumulating under the skin)
- Infection (a slight risk any time the skin is broken)
Current tests cannot tell for sure whether a low platelet count (thrombocytopenia) is caused by immune problems. Therefore, your doctor will make a diagnosis based on other tests and examinations.
This test is often performed because you have a bleeding problem. Bleeding may be more of a risk for you than for people who do not have bleeding problems.
ReferencesSchmaier AH. Thrombocytopenia due to platelet destruction and hypersplenism. In: Hoffman R, Benz EJ Jr., Shattil SJ, et al, eds. Hoffman Hematology: Basic Principles and Practice. 5th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Churchill Livingstone Elsevier;2008:chap 140.
McMillan R. Hemorrhagic disorders: Abnormalities of platelet and vascular function. In: Goldman L, Ausiello D, eds. Cecil Medicine. 23rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier;2007:chap 179.
Reviewed ByReview Date: 02/28/2011
David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine; and Yi-Bin Chen, MD, Leukemia/Bone Marrow Transplant Program, Massachusetts General Hospital. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.
Add your answer:
Earn +20 pts
What test a screening test to evaluate platelet function and to monitor changes in the blood associated with chemotherapy and radiation therapy?
Platelet Count
What medical condition is associated with platelets?
Disorders of the bone marrow and systemic conditions can cause an elevated platelet count. An elevated platelet count is known as thrombocytosis. A high platelet count can signal a more serious blood problem known as a myeloproliferative disorder
Low platelet count?
platelet count
How many platelet transfusions can a leukemia patient have?
As many as necessary to prevent bleeding associated with thrombocytopenia. In patients refractory to random donor platelet transfusions, platelet crossmatching may identify units providing better platelet count increases. If crossmatching is not effective, HLA matching of platelets may be necessary.
What is the Platelet Count Test?
What is the Platelet Count Test?
How do you increase platelet count?
Platelet counts can be increased through diet. There are several foods that can increase platelet counts, some of these foods include kale, spinach, and tofu.
If your platelet count is 100000mm3 what is wrong?
A low platelet count is not specific for any one diagnosis, i.e. there are a lot of conditions that can cause it. You should follow up with your doctor to investigate it. A platelet count of 100,000 may not actually be associated with any disorder in a given individual, as the normal range (150-400k) is statistically determined based on sampling a large number of individuals who are thought to be disease-free.
How much will be the platelet count after tranfuse one unit of platelet rich plasma?
1 unit prp increases platelet count by 10,000.
What is pdw mean in blood work?
platelet distribution width (PDW)an indication of variation in platelet size which can be a sign of active platelet release.
Why do platelets decreases during fever?
Platelets don't decrease during every kind of fever. It is decreased particularly in Dengue Fever. The major cause of low platelet count is the destruction of platelet mediated by the dengue virus or the antibodies that are secreted in response to virus infection. Also, during dengue is the suppression of bone marrow by the dengue virus (The bone-marrow is the site of the haematopoeisis, blood cells formation).
How is TTP associated with HIV?
It is not completely clear how HIV infection leads to TTP (thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura). The following are possible reasons for low thrombocyte (platelet) levels in HIV-infected individuals: * decreased production of platelets due to various forms of damage to the bone marrow, e.g. infiltration by a tumor, infections, or direct HIV effects on the cells * increased destruction of platelets due to, for example, hypersplenism or microangiopathy or antibodies to HIV that cross-react with proteins on the platelets TTP is a syndrome that consists of a number of features, one of which is low platelet levels. Fever (non-infectious), anaemia (due to haemolysis due to microangiopathy), neurological symptoms, and renal dysfunction are the other four symptoms that make up the five classic symptoms of TTP. In TTP, the low platelet levels are usually caused by spontaneous platelet aggregation and coagulation, which in turn are caused by various abnormalities of the small blood vessels.
How do platelet clumps affect the WBC and platelet counts?
If the platelet clumps are large enough, an automated blood analyzer may mistake them for WBCs, causing a falsely high WBC count. The platelet count will be decreased if there is a lot of clumping.
