Time course and clinical relevance of thrombocytopenia in critical illness

Introduction Thrombocytopenia is a common laboratory finding among critically ill patients. Studies have shown that thrombocytopenia is associated with increased morbidity and mortality, however there is limited evidence showing increasing mortality with increasing severity of thrombocytopenia. Several risk factors, such as sepsis and surgery, have been associated with thrombocytopenia. The relationship between routine coagulation parameters and platelet count has not been explored.