To determine the various causes of thrombocytopenia and its clinical correlation with bleeding in children and adolescents

Abstract

Thrombocytopenia refers to a reduction in platelet count below 1,50,000/cumm. It is the most common cause of defective primary hemostasis that can lead to significant bleeding in children. It was a retrospective observational study conducted in a tertiary care hospital in Bhilai, chattisgarh between Augusts to December 2021. Data collection was done from Sept 2018-Sept 2019. The aim of present study was to determine the various causes of thrombocytopenia in children and adolescents and to correlate its severity with etiology and risk of bleeding. Total 112 patients were included from age group 1y-18 yrs. Out of total 112 patients 59 were males and 53 were females. 27 patients were 1-5 years of age, 30 patients were 6-12 years of age and55 were 13-18 years. The mean platelet count in my study was 68,340/cumm with a minimum of 4000/cumm. Bleeding was present in total 19 (16.9%) patients. The main bleeding manifestations were petechie or purpurae, epistaxis, ecchymosis, gastrointestinal bleed and others. Severity of thrombocytopenia correlates significantly with risk of bleeding (The p-value is 0.001**). The most common cause of thrombocytopenia in 69 patients with fever were infective and 43 patients without fever it was vitamin b12 deficiency. Severity of thrombocytopenia (p=0.0528) and bleeding (p=0.121) in patients with fever and without fever was not significant. Thrombocytopenia in pediatric and adolescent children is caused by both infective and non infective illness. It mainly presents with cutaneous bleeds and mucosal bleeds. Severity of thrombocytopenia is significantly correlated with bleeding.