Ethylene diamine tetra aceticacid pseudothrombocytopenia: A must to know entity for Anaesthesiologists

Unexpected preoperative thrombocytopenia without haemorrhagic tendencies due to erroneous reports of low platelet counts associated with the commonly used anti-coagulant EDTA may result in unnecessary evaluations, delayed surgeries, unwarranted glucocorticoid therapies, splenectomies, platelet transfusions, increased anxiety and expense for the patients. [6] Awareness regarding EDTA-PTCP is necessary for all Anaesthesiologists as EDTA vacutainers and automated cell counters are used widely If this condition is suspected platelet count should be repeated using another anticoagulant such as citrate or heparin along with an examination of peripheral smear in which we can find more platelets than expected from the reported platelet count along with large platelet clumps or platelet satellitism.