Why are platelet function tests done?
Screen at-risk pre-surgical patients to determine whether they are likely to bleed excessively during an invasive procedure. Doctors currently evaluate a patient for known risk factors and rely on a patient’s clinical history and secondary hemostasis (PT and PTT) to determine their overall risk of excessive bleeding. There is no good platelet function screening test to predict which patients are likely to bleed during surgery. Identify and help diagnose platelet dysfunction in those with a history of excessive bleeding. This may be someone with nosebleeds, heavy menstrual bleeding, excessive bleeding during dental procedures, etc. It is in this area that platelet function tests are of the most use. They can be used to screen for dysfunction and, along with other bleeding disorder tests such as platelet aggregometry, to help diagnose inherited and acquired platelet dysfunctions. Von Willebrand’s disease, for instance, is the most common inherited platelet dysfunction. It is associated w
