A Clinico-Pathological Study of Platelet Count in Geriatric Age Group

Background: Platelets play a major function in sealing the openings in the vascular tree by forming the primary hemostatic plug. There are clear age-related changes in platelet count and function, driven by changes in hematopoietic tissue, the composition of the blood and vascular health. Objectives: 1. To study the variation of platelet count in Geriatric age group of both sexes. 2. To study the grading of variation in platelet count in geriatrics with clinicopathological correlation. Materials and Methods: It is a Prospective study of 2 years from May 2018 to April 2020 carried out in KIMS, Hubbali. A statistically significant sample size was 400. Results: the present study found that the majority of the geriatric cases showed normal platelet count 75.25%. Thrombocytopenia noted in 72 cases and were of mild degree. Thrombocytopenia was common in males and majority belonged to 6th decade. Reactive thrombocytosis was common in females. One case of Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura was found on bone marrow examination. Conclusion: Platelet count significantly showed the variation as aging progress. Diagnosis and Grading of thrombocytopenia in geriatrics play a crucial impact on the treating clinician, for the further systemic and therapeutic approach towards the patients. Keywords: Geriatrics; Platelet count; Thrombocytopenia