EXERCISE 12

PLATELET COUNT
Characteristics of platelet
1. small, colorless, refractile bodies
2. Azure blue granules when stained
3. Tendency to aggregate and and adhere to foreign surfaces
Procedures for platelet count
1. Direct Methods
A. Rees-Ecker Method (BCB, 40%formalin, Na citrate)
B. Ammonium oxalate
C. Nygards
D. Guy and Leake’s
E. Brecker- Cronkite (Phase-Contrast Microscopy
2. Indirect methods
A. Damashek
B. Fonio’s
C. Olef’s best indirect method
Interpretation of result:
less than I /OIO- decrease
5-20/OIO- adequate
more than 25/OIO- increase
Reasons why platelets are hard to count
1. Mistaken as debris
2. Have the tendency to adhere
3. Very small in size
4. They form into clumps
Thrombocytopenia- platelet count is decrease
Causes
1. Decrease production due to viral infection,alcoholism,MDS
2. Vitamin B12 deficiency
3. Aplastic anemia
4. Drug induced (HIT)
5. ITP
6. pregnancy
Exercise 13
Osmotic Fragility test
• OFT measures resistance of RBC to hemolysis when exposed to
different levels of dilution o a saline solution
• Clinical indications/significance

• Thalassemia
• Hereditary spherocytosis

Best method Dacies method which is measured spectrophotmetrically

Exercise 14 Bleeding Time
• Methods
1. Duke’s method ( micro method)
2. Ivy’s method
3. Copley-Lalitch method
• Factors that may affect bleeding time externally
1. depth of wound (puncture)
2. elasticity of the skin
3. pressure from outside

Clinical indications
1. number of platelets present
2. integrity of the blood vessel wall
Exercise 15 Coagulation time

• Methods for CT
1. Lee and White
2. Slide method
3. Capillary or Dale-Laidlaws method
• Causes of prolonged CT
1. smoking, obesity, pregnancy
2. use of birth control pills
3. hormone replacement therapy
4. some cancers
5. liver diseases