An adult patient has been hospitalized with thrombocytopenia with a platelet count of 8000/mm³. What action by the healthcare professional is most appropriate?

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Thrombocytopenia is a platelet count of less than 150,000/mm³. A platelet count of 8,000/mm³ is low enough to produce spontaneous bleeding, which would be devastating if it occurred in the brain. The healthcare professional should advise the patient not to get out of bed without assistance to help prevent falls. Whole blood is not needed since only platelets are deficient. The patient would not receive heparin as this would increase the chance of bleeding. A normal platelet count in an adult is 150,000 to 350,000/mm³.

An Adult Patient Has Been Hospitalized with Thrombocytopenia with a Platelet