Platelet count - Whole Blood and Components

Essential information

Includes

Thrombocytosis, non-immune thrombocytopenia.

Excludes

Immune thrombocytopenia. See Immune thrombocytopenia.

Obligatory

All donors:

Must not donate if:

  1. Under investigation for an abnormal platelet count.
  2. The platelet count is known to be less than 150 × 10⁹/L.
  3. The platelet count is known to be more than 450 × 10⁹/L.
  4. Any underlying cause precludes donation.

In addition, for platelet component donors only:

Must not donate if:

The predicted post-donation platelet count is less than 100 × 10⁹/L.

Discretionary
  1. If a donor has been investigated for an abnormal platelet count and
    1. no underlying cause has been identified that would lead to deferral, and
    2. the donor does not require any monitoring or follow up, accept.
  2. If testing by the blood transfusion service finds a donor to have a platelet count which is outside the normal range, the donor can be accepted if their results comply with local policies and procedures. Blood transfusion services should have a written policy for management of donors who are found to have a platelet count of less than 150 × 10⁹/L or more than 450 × 10⁹/L during donation testing.

Supporting information

See if relevant
Additional information

Taking a platelet donation from a donor with a platelet count lower than 150 × 10⁹/L is unlikely to provide a therapeutic dose.

Platelet counts outside of the normal range (i.e. less than 150 × 10⁹/L or more than 450 × 10⁹/L may be due to an underlying disease process. High platelet counts can also be associated with iron deficiency. Transfusion services should ensure that, where abnormal platelet counts are identified as part of routine donation testing, these are reviewed and managed appropriately. Further investigation may be required for donors with persistently abnormal results.

Reason for change:
Additions to the Obligatory and See if Relevant sections.
Version details:

WB-DSG Edition 203 Release 73 (07 October 2024)