(1)
Departments of Internal Medicine & Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
A platelet count of <150,000 cells/μL is considered thrombocytopenia. However, 2.5% of the population has counts less than this cutoff.
Thrombocytopenia | Platelet count (cells/μL) |
---|---|
Mild | 100,000–150,000 |
Moderate | 50,000–100,000 |
Severe | <50,000 |
Pathology
Thrombocytopenia is caused by deficient production in the bone marrow, immune-mediated peripheral destruction, or increased sequestration in the spleen.
Etiology
Causes other than psychotropic agents are listed as follows.
Common conditions associated with thrombocytopenia
Nonpsychotropic drugs (antibiotics, cardiac medications, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents) |
Chronic infections—HIV, Hepatitis C |
Chronic liver disease |
Chronic alcohol use |
Nutritional deficiencies (Vit B12, folate) |
Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) |
Psychotropic Medications and Thrombocytopenia
Drug-induced thrombocytopenia is usually mediated by immune mechanisms, namely, platelet destruction by platelet reactive antibodies. Bone marrow suppression is a less common cause of isolated drug-induced thrombocytopenia.