The Case of IPT
A Case of IPT
Directions: Go to this website: http://www.sciencecases.org/itp/itp.asp Read the case study, and answer the following questions.
1. How and where are platelets produced in the body? Platelets are produced in bone marrow. They are produced from broken off pieces of the cytoplasm from bone marrow cells. 2. Describe the role played by platelets in hemostasis. The platelets help repair broken blood vessels. 3. Define thrombocytopenia and list the more common causes of this condition. Thrombocytopenia is the deficiency of platelets in the blood that cause bleeding into the tissues, bruising and slow blood clots after injury. Common causes are decrease in bone marrow, infection, drugs or anemia. 4. What are the potential consequences of a low platelet count? Some of the consequences for having a low platelet count is that you’ll easily bruise, you’ll find tiny red spots on the arms and legs, you’ll have bleeding gums, there will be blood in the urine or stool, you could have some internal bleeding or you could just bleed to death. 5. What drugs have been associated with the development of thrombocytopenia? Drugs such as steroids, chemotherapy, zantac and aspirin. 6. How is thrombocytopenia treated in individuals diagnosed with the condition? Some treatments for individuals can be blood or platelet transfusions, steroids, immunoglobulins and a splenectomy. 7. How might removal of the spleen (splenectomy) result in an increase in the number of circulating platelets? The spllen removes antibodies from red blood cells so without the production of antibodies, the number of platelets shoud increase. 8. What is Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP)? ITP is a bleeding disorder where blood doesn’t clot as well as it should due to low number of platelets.
Source: National Center for Case Study Teaching in
Directions: Go to this website: http://www.sciencecases.org/itp/itp.asp Read the case study, and answer the following questions.
1. How and where are platelets produced in the body? Platelets are produced in bone marrow. They are produced from broken off pieces of the cytoplasm from bone marrow cells. 2. Describe the role played by platelets in hemostasis. The platelets help repair broken blood vessels. 3. Define thrombocytopenia and list the more common causes of this condition. Thrombocytopenia is the deficiency of platelets in the blood that cause bleeding into the tissues, bruising and slow blood clots after injury. Common causes are decrease in bone marrow, infection, drugs or anemia. 4. What are the potential consequences of a low platelet count? Some of the consequences for having a low platelet count is that you’ll easily bruise, you’ll find tiny red spots on the arms and legs, you’ll have bleeding gums, there will be blood in the urine or stool, you could have some internal bleeding or you could just bleed to death. 5. What drugs have been associated with the development of thrombocytopenia? Drugs such as steroids, chemotherapy, zantac and aspirin. 6. How is thrombocytopenia treated in individuals diagnosed with the condition? Some treatments for individuals can be blood or platelet transfusions, steroids, immunoglobulins and a splenectomy. 7. How might removal of the spleen (splenectomy) result in an increase in the number of circulating platelets? The spllen removes antibodies from red blood cells so without the production of antibodies, the number of platelets shoud increase. 8. What is Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP)? ITP is a bleeding disorder where blood doesn’t clot as well as it should due to low number of platelets.
Source: National Center for Case Study Teaching in