The importance of thrombocytic indices in patients operated for chronic rheumatic heart disease

We studied the importance of thrombocytic indices in patients operated for chronic rheumatic heart disease and showed that a decrease in the platelet count is accompanied by increased thrombocytic indices including platelet width and mean volume, the relative number of large platelets in peripheral blood The increase was regarded as a compensatory response to the decrease in the platelet count; it suggests enhanced thrombocytopoiesis. It is concluded that deretmination of thrombocytic indices in cardiosurgical patients using automated hematological analyzers allows to evaluate the prcesses of thrombocytopoiesis.