Platelet priority levels

Refer to: Prescribing Platelets for evidence-based guidelines on prophylactic and therapeutic platelet prescription.

*Surgery: Refer to Department of Health directives for prioritisation of surgery.

Patients with clinically significant bleeding1      
  • Massive blood transfusion.
  • Thrombocytopenia or platelet dysfunction a major contributory factor.
  • Acute Disseminated Intravascular Coagulopathy (DIC) and platelet count <50x109/L.
  • Requiring immediate or urgent surgery and a platelet count <50 x109/L or with functional platelet defects.
  • Requiring immediate or urgent neurosurgery, intraocular or neuraxial surgery, with platelet count <100x109/L or functional platelet defects.
High risk of critical bleeding                                
  • Head injury and a platelet count <100x109/L.
  • Neonates with Neonatal Alloimmune Thrombocytopenia (NAIT) and platelet count <30x109/L.
  • Neonates (term and pre-term) with severe thrombocytopenia and platelet count <25 x109/L.
  • Severe thrombocytopenia undergoing chemotherapy and haematopoietic stem cell transplantation and a platelet count of <10x109/L in the absence of risk factors and <20x109/L in the presence of risk factors (e.g. fever).
  • Critically ill patients and a platelet count of <20x109/L.
Surgical patients*                                                      
  • Patients who require expedited surgery* or invasive procedure and a platelet count <50x109/L or with functional platelet defects.
  • Patients who require expedited neurosurgery, intraocular or neuraxial surgery* and a platelet count <100x109/L or with functional platelet defects.
  • Elective surgery* in patients who may require platelet support for thrombocytopenia or functional platelet defects.
Reference

National Blood Authority National Blood Supply Contingency Plan v2.0. July 2019. [Accessed 6 April 2020]. Available from: https://www.blood.gov.au/nbscp

 

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