Abstract

 Background and Objectives

 Thrombocytopenia is one of the most prevalent complications in ICU admitted patients that could increase the risk of hemorrhage, duration of ICU inhabitant, morbidity and mortality. Platelet transfusion is used to prevent or treat hemorrhagic conditions. Indications, triggers and response to platelet transfusion in ICU of two hospitals in Tehran were studied.

 Materials and Methods

 In the descriptive study, 380 thrombocytopenic ICU admitted adult patients were enrolled. Indications, triggers, response to platelet transfusion (CCI), type of component, prophylactic or therapeutic transfusion and number of transfused units were studied.

 Results

 Among 380 patients, 124 (32.2%) received platelet transfusion, 64 (51.6%) were prophylactic and the rest were therapeutic 30 (24.2%) used the aphaeresis platelet and the rest were administered RDP homologous PC. The mean rate of transfused units was found as 4.5 and in 58 (46.8%) of cases the non-immunologic causes of refractoriness were found. Triggers of prophylactic platelet transfusion (33 ± 4 × 10⁹/L) and therapeutic platelet transfusion (58 ± 8 × 10⁹/L) showed significant differences (p value = 0.04). Triggers of transfusion aphaeresis (19 × 10⁹/L) compared to RDP homologous PC (55 × 10⁹/L) were also shown to be significantly different (p = 0.01). The mean rates of 1st hour and 20^th hour CCIs were 3700 ± 1850 and 3300 ± 1840, respectively.

 Conclusions

 Almost half of transfusions in ICU were prophylactic. More than half of ICU patients who received platelet transfusion were unable to build a successful increment after a single transfusion.