Incidence of thrombocytopenia in hyperbilirubinemic neonates following Phototherapy

• Published in: Asian Journal of Research in Chemistry 2015-04, Vol.8 (4), p.221
• Main Authors: Bhargava, Omprakash, Sutrakar, Suresh Kumar, Ghanghoria, Pawan, Verma, Arvind
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 0974-4169; 0974-4150
• DOI: 10.5958/0974-4150.2015.00039.5

A prospective study was conducted in the Department of Paediatrics and Department of Pathology in Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Medical College and associated Hospital, Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh (India) between August 2009 and August 2010; in consecutively enrolled apparently healthy neonates, who developed indirect hyperbilirubinaemia and required phototherapy irrespective of gestational age and birth weight and platelet counts. Out of 96 neonates included in study 67 (69.8%) were male and 29 (30.2%) were female. At the initiation of phototherapy 35 (36.5%) neonates were having platelet count above 150,000/cumm while after 48 hours of phototherapy 76 (79.2%) neonates were having platelet count below 150,000/cumm. Majority of neonates had mild (58.2%) and moderate (20.8%) thrombocytopenia during the first 48 hours of phototherapy. This study establishes an association of phototherapy as a cause of thrombocytopenia in hyperbilirubinaemic neonates. This study helps the practitioner to be aware of this association and avoid unnecessary investigations, as thrombocytopenia was transient.