Platelet count & platelet function: An in vitro model for producing whole blood with low platelet counts

Introduction: The lowest platelet count considered safe for regional techniques has yet to be established in the normally hypercoagulable pregnant patient. This pilot study was conducted to produce an in vitro methodology to generate artificially low platelet counts in whole blood without disturbing haematocrit, clotting factors or the platelets themselves. The method will then be used to identify the point at which a falling platelet count begins to interfere with platelet function in different pregnant subpopulations as assessed by the Platelet Function Analyser (PFA-100) measuring closure time (CT, s) and the thromboelastograph (TEG) 1 measuring maximum amplitude (MA, ram).