Platelet Count
(PLT Ct)

Sample type:

• Lavender-top (EDTA) tube.

Uses:

• Evaluate, diagnose, and/or follow up bleeding disorders, drug-induced thrombocytopenia, idiopathic thrombocytopenia purpura (acute or chronic), disseminated intravascular coagulation, leukemia states,

• Chemotherapeutic management of malignant disease states; investigate purpura, petechiae;

• Evaluate response to platelet transfusions, steroids, or other therapy.

Precautions:

• Maintain specimen at room temperature.

• Avoid strenuous activity, contact sports,lifting heavy objects, training to cough, forceful nose blowing, or constipation.

• Avoid medications that affect blood clotting

• Don’t take aspirin or any product that contains aspirin.

Interfering Factors:

• Clumping may cause false low count.

• Platelet satellitism around neutrophils will cause a pseudothrombocytopenia.

• RBC or WBC fragments including fragmented fragile leukemic cells and neutrophil pseudoplatelets2 may cause falsely elevated counts.

Pre analytical errors:

1. Inappropriate specimen received.

2. Unlabeled specimen or name discrepancy between specimen and request label;

3. Specimen received after prolonged delay (usually more than 72 hours);

4. Specimen received in expired transport container.

Corrective action:

1. Appropriate specimen received.

2. Labeled specimen and no name discrepancy between specimen and request label.

3. Specimen received without delay.

4. Specimen received in valid transport container.

Post analytical errors:

1. Failure in reporting.

2. Erroneous validation of analytical data.

3. Improper data entry.

Corrective action:

1. Write correct report.

2. All analytical data should be valid.

3. Proper data entry.

Reference range:

• A normal platelet count ranges from 150,000 to 450,000 platelets per microliter of blood.