A patient with a recent diagnosis of ITP has asked the nurse why the care team has not chosen to
Administer platelets, stating, I have low platelets, so why not give me a transfusion of exactly what Im missing? How should the nurse best respond?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Despite extremely low platelet counts, platelet transfusions are usually avoided. Transfusions tend to be ineffective not because the platelets are nonfunctional but because the patients antiplatelet antibodies bind with the transfused platelets, causing them to be destroyed. Matching the patients blood type is not usually necessary for a platelet transfusion. Platelet transfusions do not exacerbate low platelet production.

A Patient with a Recent Diagnosis of ITP Has Asked