Cancer Diagnosis Program | Biorepositories and Biospecimen Research Branch

Search BRD Papers

Amikacin can be added to blood to reduce the fall in platelet count.

Author(s): Zhou X, Wu X, Deng W, Li J, Luo W

Publication: Am J Clin Pathol, 2011, Vol. 136, Page 646-52

PubMed ID: 21917689 PubMed Review Paper? No

Purpose of Paper

Conclusion of Paper

Studies

1. Study Purpose

   The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of anticoagulant type and blood additives on blood cell counts in specimens from a patient with thrombocytopenia and from healthy individuals with and without pseudothrombocytopenia. Blood was obtained from a healthy individual without pseudothrombocytopenia, an otherwise healthy man with multi-anticoagulant-induced pseudothrombocytopenia when counted by an autoanalyzer and an individual with pseudothrombocytopenia and thrombocytopenia.

   Summary of Findings:

   In specimens from a healthy individual without anticoagulant-induced pseudothrombocytopenia, the platelet counts were most stable in K2EDTA and sodium fluoride-anticoagulated blood. Lithium heparin and sodium citrate-anticoagulated specimens had lower platelet counts, and microscopic observations showed low levels of platelet aggregation. In specimens from the patient with anticoagulant-induced pseudothrombocytopenia, anticoagulation with sodium fluoride resulted in a 70% drop in platelet counts over 4 h. In the same patient, a lesser, but still more than 50% drop in platelet counts was observed in blood anticoagulated with K2EDTA or sodium citrate, and anticoagulation with lithium heparin led to highly variable platelet counts. In the individual with pseudothrombocytopenia, as the platelet counts decreased the white blood cell counts increased slightly. Addition of gentamicin, vitamin B6, or aminophylline to blood failed to prevent the K2EDTA mediated platelet aggregation and decrease in platelet counts in the specimens from the healthy individual with pseudothrombocytopenia. In contrast, addition of amikacin, before or within 10 minutes of blood sampling, prevented K2EDTA, lithium heparin and sodium citrate-mediated decrease in platelet count, but sodium fluoride-anticoagulated blood treated with amikacin had an elevated platelet count compared the other specimens. Addition of amikacin to EDTA-anticoagulated blood, at any point, increased the platelet count in individuals with pseudothrombocytopenia, with or without thrombocytopenia, but the platelet counts only returned to normal when it was added within 1 h of blood collection. Finally, addition of amikacin to blood from individuals with pseudothrombocytopenia did not affect the counts of other blood cell types.

   Biospecimens

   • Bodily Fluid - Blood

   Preservative Types

   • None (Fresh)

   Diagnoses:

   • Normal
   • Other diagnoses

   Platform:

   Analyte	Technology Platform
   Cell count/volume	Hematology/ auto analyzer
   Morphology	Light microscopy

   Pre-analytical Factors:

   Classification	Pre-analytical Factor	Value(s)
   Preaquisition	Diagnosis/ patient condition	Multianticoagulant-dependent pseudothrombocytopenia Intrinsic thrombocytopenia
   Storage	Time at room temperature	10 min 30 min 1 h 2 h 3 h 4 h
   Biospecimen Preservation	Fixative additive/buffer	Gentamicin Amikacin Aminophylline Vitamin B6
   Biospecimen Acquisition	Anticoagulant	Potassium EDTA Lithium heparin Sodium citrate Sodium fluoride

   View more