What should I do if I find thrombocytopenia?

  In routine blood tests, a platelet (PLT) count below 100×109/L is called thrombocytopenia, which is a common clinical condition. If platelets are low to a certain extent, various symptoms of bleeding will occur, and at the same time, thrombocytopenia is also a sign of certain serious diseases, so thrombocytopenia, even if it is mild, should not be taken lightly. The first thing you should do is to see a specialist to find out the cause of the condition and take reasonable treatment according to the different conditions.       There are many causes of thrombocytopenia, some of which are concomitant with other diseases, such as leukemia, reblastosis, and myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), which is caused by the inhibition of platelet regeneration due to bone marrow lesions. Rheumatic diseases can lead to increased platelet destruction. About one-third of the body’s platelets are stored in the spleen. If the spleen is enlarged for other reasons, many platelets may be trapped in the spleen, resulting in a decrease in the number of platelets in the blood circulation. Some viral or bacterial infections can also cause a decrease in platelets, such as epidemic hemorrhagic fever, sepsis, hepatitis B virus, and AIDS virus. In the above cases, the patient’s condition is more complicated than a single platelet reduction, so the primary disease should be treated, and of course, platelet transfusion can be given to prevent bleeding if the platelet reduction is severe. In particular, leukemia and infection should be detected and treated early to avoid life-threatening.  If it is a simple thrombocytopenia, previously used certain drugs or found during the treatment of other diseases, this should be considered whether it is due to drugs. Common drugs include: aspirin, anti-inflammatory pain, phenytoin sodium, carbamazepine, cephalosporin antibiotics, penicillin, streptomycin, sulfonamide, rifampin, erythromycin, isoniazid, chlorothiazide, heparin, etc. As there are many drugs that may cause thrombocytopenia, the above situation can be read the instructions of the drugs used to see if there is thrombocytopenia as a side effect, and if it occurs it should be considered, and generally stop the drug Platelets will rise after 1-7 days.  The first occurrence of simple thrombocytopenia with no obvious cause, or long-term chronic simple thrombocytopenia with skin bruising, may be the so-called “idiopathic”, or “immune” thrombocytopenia (ITP), although it is recognized to be immune-related, but the exact cause is still unclear. In adults with ITP, there are mostly platelet antibodies in the body, leading to platelet destruction and impaired maturation, and increased or normal megakaryocytes with impaired maturation on bone marrow examination. If the above clear causes of thrombocytopenia can be excluded, ITP can be diagnosed. initial treatment with glucocorticoids is generally used, if the effect is poor then Danazol or immunosuppressants such as vincristine, azathioprine, melphalan, etc. can also be considered platelet growth promoter. Chinese herbal medicine can also play a good role in the treatment, generally using the method of benefiting Qi and nourishing Yin, clearing heat and detoxifying, cooling blood and stopping bleeding. Some patients can be treated by spleen excision. Large doses of immunoglobulin and transfusion of single-collected platelets can be used to briefly elevate platelets and get through the dangerous period. In general, platelet counts greater than 30×109/L can be observed without active treatment.  When platelets are very low, we should also pay attention to: avoid strenuous activities, bed rest when extremely low; it is important to maintain emotional stability; avoid trauma; anti-platelet drugs that are being applied to treat other diseases such as aspirin, bimatoprost, clopidogrel, etc. or blood-activating drugs should be discontinued; avoid spicy and strong-smelling foods to avoid aggravating the disease.