Thrombocytopenia is often a source of concern for physicians and patients alike and is one of the commonest reasons for a hematology consultation. Through this study, we wish to ascertain the different etiologies which should be kept in mind by a hematologist when a consultation for thrombocytopenia is sought. We assessed the etiology & clinical features of thrombocytopenia seen on consultative hematology calls for patients admitted in the general ward of a tertiary care hospital. 88/277 hematology consultations taken over a course of 2 months were for thrombocytopenia. The median age of these patients was 30 years, 62.5% were female, and median platelet of 40,500/µL (1000-112000). Mild, moderate & severe thrombocytopenia was seen in 6.8%, 27.3% and 65.9% respectively. 50% of patients had a primary hematological diagnosis. Immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) was the commonest diagnosis (38.6%). Bleeding manifestations were present in 48.9% patients with 20.5% having a major bleed. One third of hematology consultations in the general ward and emergency of a tertiary care hospital are for thrombocytopenia. Almost in half, the etiology of thrombocytopenia is related to a primary hematological disorder. This information should help in decision making of use of appropriate resources.
Keywords: Bleeding manifestations; Consultative hematology; Immune thrombocytopenia; Thrombocytopenia.