All issues > Volume 45(8); 2002

Original Article

J Korean Pediatr Soc. 2002;45(8):961-966. Published online August 15, 2002.

Frequency of Platelet Transfusions and Outcome in Neonates with Thrombocytopenia

Suk-Hwan SH Lim¹, Jin-Hwa JH Kook², Chang-Yee CY Cho², Young-Youn YY Choi², Tai-Ju TJ Hwang²

¹Department of Pediatrics, Mokpo Catholic Hospital, Mokpo,Korea
²Department of Pediatrics, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju, Korea

Correspondence Young-Youn YY Choi ,Email: yychoi@chonnam.ac.kr

Abstract

Purpose
: We compared the underlying or associated diseases according to the frequency of platelet transfusions in neonates with thrombocytopenia to know the factors predicting which patients will require multiple platelet transfusions. We also compared mortality.
Methods
: A retrospective study was performed in 72 neonates who received the platelet transfusions in neonatal intensive care unit(NICU) between August 1996 and July 2001. Group I received one platelet transfusion and group II received two or more. We compared the frequency of underlying or assodiated diseases such as sepsis/disseminated intravascular coagulopathy(DIC), respiratory distress syndrome(RDS), intraventricular hemorrhage(IVH), patent ductus arteriosus (PDA), necrotizing enterocolitis(NEC), liver or renal disease, and mortality between two groups.
Results
: Of the 72 patients, 29(40.2%) received one and 43(59.7%) received two or more transfusions; 16(22.2%) received four or more. There were no statistically significant differences in gestational age, birth weight, sex, and maternal history between two groups. C-section rate was higher in group II(20.7% vs. 55.8%, P<0.05) and the incidence of PDA was higher in group I (55.2% vs. 30.2%, P<0.05). Otherwise, there were no statistically significant differences in the incidence of sepsis/DIC, RDS, IVH, RDS, CLD, NEC, liver or renal disease, pulmonary hemorrhage and hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy, and mortality between group I and group II.
Conclusion
: There was no significant difference in clinical morbidity and mortality according to the frequency of platelet transfusion in neonates with thrombocytopenia. Further study is needed to know the predicting factor for multiple platelet transfusions in neonates with thrombocytopenia.

Keywords :Neonate, Thrombocytopenia, Platelet transfusion, Clinical morbidity, Mortality