Platelet Abnormalities in Thermal Injury

Abstract
A study on platelets was done in 13 patients with severe burns during the period immediately following the thermal injury. For each patient it is possible to define a period, usually beginning around the 8th day postburn, characterised by decrease of ADP and 5-HT in the platelets and by an increase in the ATP/ADP ratio. These abnormalities strongly suggest an acquired storage pool disease. Study of the dense bodies by mepacrine labelling during this period suggests that the platelets release their contents but retain the structures labelled by mepacrine.