[Lisa V]

Our doctor used 10k as a generic target number for transfusing platelets, but it really depends on how well you do at different levels. If you're having petechiae and bruising above that level, then you should transfuse. Other patients have experimented with letting it go as low as possible just to avoid so many frequent transfusions, and have arrived at target numbers as low as 4 or 5k with no ill effects. Obviously you have to be very cautious and avoid putting yourself at risk for injury while you're doing this.

tytd mentioned the rate of decline, and this was always a big issue for us too. If Ken's Plts were dropping 20 or 30k in a week, we would always try to schedule the next transfusion before he actually hit 10k because we knew that by the time of the appointment they would be there or lower. The problem was in getting the nurses to see it that way, as they had strict orders not to order a tx if his last reading was still, say 12k. You'd think it would be common sense to look at the trajectory rather than just the static count, but maybe SAAers drop more rapidly than most patients? I really don't know, but it certainly caused a lot of hysteria around our house!