Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
False low platelet counts caused by EDTA in dogs explained
By Wills, Tamara B & Wardrop, K Jane·Published in Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association·2008·Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Pseudothrombocytopenia secondary to the effects of EDTA in a dog.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A dog with moderate low platelet counts was found to have a condition called pseudothrombocytopenia, which can happen when blood samples are treated with a certain chemical (EDTA). This condition can lead to misleading test results, making it seem like the dog has a serious problem when it doesn't. To get an accurate platelet count, a vet may need to use a different method of drawing blood. In most cases, simply using a different type of blood collection can clarify whether the dog truly has low platelets or if it was just a testing error.
People also search for: dog low platelet count causes · why is my dog bleeding · dog blood test results explained
Abstract
Pseudothrombocytopenia (PTCP) secondary to the effects of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) has been noted in horses and pigs and should be considered in dogs with moderate thrombocytopenia and no clinical bleeding tendency. This type of pseudothrombocytopenia is not a pathological process by itself, but it can be clinically significant if diagnostics and medical treatments are initiated based on the reported thrombocytopenia. Platelet clumping occurs with EDTA-dependent PTCP, resulting in inaccurate hematology analyzer platelet concentrations. A nontraumatic venipuncture may be sufficient to obtain an accurate platelet count. However, rare cases in the dog may require blood drawn into a different anticoagulant, such as sodium citrate, to help discriminate a true thrombocytopenia from PTCP.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18316447/