Toriqul Islam: EDTA-Induced Pseudothrombocytopenia
Toriqul Islam, Medical Laboratory Technologist at National Gastroliver Institute and Hospital Mohakhali Dhaka , shared a post on LinkedIn:
“EDTA (Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid), a common anticoagulant used in blood collection tubes.
EDTA can cause a falsely low platelet count, a phenomenon known as EDTA-induced pseudothrombocytopenia.
Here is how it happens:
The Mechanism:
In some individuals, the EDTA anticoagulant triggers an immune reaction that causes platelets to clump together in the test tube.
The Lab Error:
Automated blood analyzers count these large clumps as single large platelets or white blood cells, artificially dropping the total platelet count.
The Fix:
To get an accurate count, the lab must redraw the blood using a different anticoagulant (like sodium citrate or heparin) or manually check a blood smear under a microscope to verify the clumping.”
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