What Does a Low Platelet Count Mean?

Platelets are cell fragments in the blood that play a vital role in stopping bleeding. They are produced in the bone marrow from large cells called megakaryocytes.

How Platelet Count Is Determined

• Platelet count is measured as part of a complete blood count. A blood sample is drawn from the patient and sent to the laboratory for analysis.

Significance

• Having too few platelets in the blood is a condition called thrombocytopenia. A normal platelet count is between 150,000 to 450,000 per microliter of blood. If the platelet count is too low, bleeding problems may occur.

Symptoms

• Bruising easily, abnormal bleeding from even small wounds and small, pinpoint-sized red spots under the skin are common symptoms of thrombocytopenia. For very low platelet counts, spontaneous bleeding or hemorrhaging under the skin can occur.

Causes

• Thrombocytopenia has many causes, including chemotherapy drugs, aplastic anemia, some antibiotics, vitamin B12 deficiency, autoimmune diseases or alcoholism.

Treatment

• The type of treatment depends on the cause of the low platelet count. If a drug is the cause, discontinuing it should return the platelet count to normal. If the cause is an autoimmune disease, steroids may help slow down the loss of platelets.