Thrombocytopenia in intensive care patients: a comprehensive analysis of risk factors in 314 patients.

Objective:To define the incidence and severity of thrombocytopenia in a mixed medical-surgical population of critically ill patients and to examine factors that may be related to the development of thrombocytopenia.Design:Retrospective chart review of 314 critically ill patients requiring at least 3 days of critical care.Setting:A 17-bed combined medical-surgical intensive care unit (ICU) in a 560-bed tertiary care community hospital.Patients:Medical and surgical patients admitted to the ICU.Interventions:All medical records over the duration of the ICU stay were reviewed. All scheduled medications, including dosage and start/stop dates, were recorded. All platelet counts, placement of pulmonary artery catheters, liver function test results, and admission serum creatinine concentrations were collected.Measurement and Main Results:Thrombocytopenia (platelet count less than 200 × 109L) was observed frequently, but rarely reached a severe stage (7 patients). No single diagnostic category was significantly as...