Medical - Heme - Onc - Diabetes Flashcards
In a pregnant patient with thrombocytopenia, what is your differential diagnosis?
Gestational thrombocytopenia Pseudothrombocytopenia (Platelet clumping) ITP - antiphospholipid syndrome - lupus TTP / HUS / DIC Preeclampsia / HELLP syndrome HIV / Hep C / CMV Meds: Heparin
In a pregnant patient with thrombocytopenia, what is your workup?
H&P (heavy menses, easy bruising/bleeding, medications, petechiae)
vitals (BP assessment)
CBC
Peripheral smear (pseudothrombocytopenia/clumping)
What is gestational thrombocytopenia? What causes it?
Thrombocytopenia that can occur in pregnancy due to hemodilution and enhanced clearance
How can gestational thrombocytopenia be distinguished from ITP?
ITP:
Also seen out of pregnancy
Can be symptomatic
Associated with neonatal thrombocytopenia
Gestational:
Not outside of pregnancy
Asymptomatic
No neonatal thrombocytopenia
Platelet count usually above 75k and return to normal postpartum
Management of suspected Gestational thrombocytopenia?
CBC follow up
Postnatal CBC to assess resolution
What is ITP?
Immune thrombocytopenic purpura, an autoimmune disorder where antibodies cause destruction of platelets
What causes ITP?
Primary: Autoimmune destruction of platelets
Secondary: HIV, HCV, SLE or Leukemia
Drug induced: Heparin, NSAIDs monoclonal antibodies
How is ITP diagnosed?
Base on history, labs and physical exam findings, mostly a diagnosis of exclusion
What are potential complications associated with ITP in pregnancy?
“Bleeding
Fetal/neonatal thrombocytopenia”
If a patient presented with suspected ITP at 35 weeks with a platelet count of 40,000, How would you counsel her?
Counsel that there is no test to predict course of platelets for her or fetus
Try to minimize bleeding
If she has an indication for a cesarean, we can discuss increasing platelets with steroids
Avoid NSAIDs
If a patient presented with suspected ITP at 35 weeks with a platelet count of 40,000, How would you manage her?
Multidisciplinary approach (Anesthesia, hematology, neonatology)
What are treatment options for ITP in a pregnant patient?
Steroids (Prednisone 0.5mg/kg daily, see response in 2 weeks)
IVIG (see response in 3 days)
Platelet transfusion (3X dose + intravenous high-dose corticosteroids or IVIG)
Splenectomy (avoid in pregnancy)
Rhogam (decreases platelet destruction)
Considerations for labor and delivery and neonatal care in ITP?
“Avoid scalp electrodes / operative vaginal delivery
Neonatal platelet count after delivery and at 2-5d of life
Avoid IM injections / circumcisions till platelet count returns”
When is treatment of ITP warranted?
“Symptomatic bleeding
Platelet count below 30,000
Expected surgery and platelet count <50,000
Neuraxial anesthesia desired and platelet count <70,000”
What are the fetal risks if the mother has ITP?
Fetal thrombocytopenia with hemorrhage (risk is less than 1%).
Below what platelet treshold is neuraxial anesthesia no longer allowed?
What is the goal platelet count before cesarean section?
Neruaxial anesthesia: 70,000
C/s: 50,000
What are the risks of neuraxial anesthesia in a thrombocytopenic patient?
Epidural hematoma
How do you counsel a patient with HELLP syndrome regarding her risks during cesarean section?
Risks of bleeding, DIC, seizures
How do you monitor / counsel about platelets counts after delivery in HELLP syndrome?
“Nadir is about 48 hours postpartum
Most platelet counts are above 100,000/L within a week”
“G1P0101 with a history of a prior 32 week delivery.
She remembers going to hospital with abdominal pain, n/v and confusion.
SHe was told she had mild fever and AST/ALT of 700/800, Bilirubin of 5, WBC 17k, Platelets of 22k and creatinine 2.2.
What is your D/Dx for what prompted this delivery?”
“Acute fatty liver of pregnancy
TTP / HUS
HELLP syndrome
Lupus with flare”
What would help you make a more definitive diagnosis of acute fatty liver of pregnancy?
“Very high LFTs
High Ammonia
Hypoglycemia
Prolonged PT/PTT
Decreased Antithrombin level
Decreased fibrinogen”
Etiology of AFLP?
“It can be due to Long Chain 3hydroxyacyl CoA Dehydrogenase (LCHAD) deficiency
But other enzyme deficiencies have also been demonstrated (more rare)”
If the diagnosis was Acute fatty liver of pregnancy, how do you counsel her regarding a future pregnancy?
Higher risk of recurrence in another pregnancy, but unclear how high
~25%
Follow up in future pregnancies when AFLP occurred prior?
Baseline labs, and increased monitoring of labs starting 1 month prior to gestational age of prior diagnosis.