Immune Thrombocytopenia

Publication date: January 2017 Source:Hospital Medicine Clinics, Volume 6, Issue 1 Author(s): Iris Ma, Alexander T. SandhuTeaser Immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) is a disease caused by autoimmune platelet destruction that can occur as a primary or secondary process. ITP is a diagnosis of exclusion with no confirmatory diagnostic test. Diagnostic bone marrow biopsy should be pursued in select cases: abnormalities on peripheral smear, abnormal white blood cell count or hemoglobin, or treatment-refractory ITP. Treatment for ITP should be initiated in patients with less than 30,000 platelets per microliter or significant bleeding. First-line treatment for primary ITP is high-dose dexamethasone, intravenous immunoglobulin, or anti-D immunoglobulin. Splenectomy should be deferred for at least 6 months in favor of treatments with lower morbidity.
Source: Hospital Medicine Clinics - Category: Internal Medicine Source Type: research