Platelets drop 50% in two days?
 

My mom has MDS Int 1, age 89. Co-morbidities = hypertension, CHF, interstitial lung disease. She is in hosp right now recovering from bad stomach flu. When she was admitted Saturday, her platelets were 58,000. Today(tuesday) her platelets dropped to 27,000; that is lowest she has ever been. They were going to send her home but found fluid on her lungs so keeping her in. What causes platelets to drop in half over 4 days, from low to lower? BTW, she is also has low rbc and wbc. Could the drop in platelets be causing the fluid on lungs or is she now at risk for pneumonia? Thanks.

Infection and platelets
 

Hi Jil,
All kinds of infections are dangerous for us with low counts - they can make our low count decrease. Hopefully your mother will get effective treatment and her counts will increase again!
Kind regards
Birgitta-A
72 yo, dx MDS Interm-1 2006 with all counts low. Transfusion dependent from dx. Neutropenic fever after 3 infections 2007 with Neutrophils 0.1. Since 2010 Thalidomide + Prednisone with positive effect.

Hi Jil,

If your Mum was dehydrated when she was admitted and now she is well hydrated or even over hydrated then both the first and current platelet count can both be wrong.

Hope she recovers soon.

Regards