How reports print it
PLTPlatelet countКоличество тромбоцитов
What it shows
Platelets are the cells that take part in clotting and stop bleeding.
Units and conversion
Base unit: ×10⁹/L.
- 1 ×10³/µL = 1 ×10⁹/L
Typical ranges
Your laboratory’s range comes first — it is printed on the report next to the result. Below is one laboratory’s adult range with its method: a reference, not a rule.
| Who | Range, ×10⁹/L |
|---|---|
| Adults | 150–400 |
Range source: Лаборатория Хеликс — Общий анализ крови (без лейкоцитарной формулы и СОЭ)
Critical values
Urgent thresholds per the source below: ≤ 31 ×10⁹/L or ≥ 999 ×10⁹/L. If your report has such a value, see a doctor today; if you feel unwell right now, call 103 or 112.
- Critical values comparison: a College of American Pathologists Q-Probes survey of 163 clinical laboratories — Archives of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, 2007
Why it can be higher
Common reasons discussed with a doctor. This is not a diagnosis.
- After removal of the spleen
- Chronic infections such as tuberculosis
- Bone marrow conditions — a doctor rules them out
Why it can be lower
- A sample artefact: platelets clump in the tube and the analyser counts fewer — a doctor may ask for a repeat
- Immune causes: the body destroys its own platelets
- Severe infections
- Bone marrow conditions — a doctor rules them out
What to ask a doctor
- Should the test be repeated?
- Are there signs to watch for, such as bruising or bleeding gums?
Whom to see
A GP or internist; then a haematologist on referral.