KOCHI: Demand for the human blood component called platelets is increasing day by day with the spike in dengue fever cases. The blood banks are struggling to meet the increased demand as it would require at least four to five persons to donate enough blood to increase the platelet count to the desired level. Platelets from one unit of blood raises the count by 5000-10,000 and the desired rise in the count of a patient is 50,000. The normal count of platelets in the blood is 1.5 lakh to 4 lakh and external supplementation is required when the count goes below 20,000.
Though there is an international protocol for dengue treatment, there are complaints that private hospitals are prescribing platelet transfusion even if it is not necessary. “We are able to meet only one third of the actual demand for platelets, though we are conducting 12 blood donation camps every month. Rational usage of platelets by doctors and introduction of apheresis machine that can separate platelets from other blood constituents are the most important measures to be taken,” said Dr N Vijayakumar, medical officer in charge of the regional blood transfusion centre attached to Aluva district hospital blood bank.
“Increased blood collection just to meet the demand for platelets leads to wastage of precious blood products like packed red blood cells and fresh frozen plasma. If the machine is introduced in select government medical colleges, wastage of red cells and other constituents of blood can be avoided,” he added. Meanwhile, district medical officer Dr. N.K Kuttappan told DC that if private hospitals were prescribing platelet transfusion unnecessarily, the matter would be taken up with the Indian Medical Association during the regular review meeting.
