Thrombocytopenia and Altered Platelet Kinetics Associated with Prolonged Pulmonary-artery Catheterization in the Dog

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Abstract
Platelet kinetics were studied in healthy dogs subjected to pulmonary-artery (Swan-Ganz) catheterization. Ten dogs, mean weight 11.0 .+-. 1.12 kg (SD), were equally divided into experimental and control groups. A fraction of platelets from each dog was harvested, labeled with 51Cr and reinfused. Daily blood samples for determinations of radioactivity and platelet count were obtained. From the 3rd-5th day after platelet labeling, experimental dogs underwent catheterization with Swan-Ganz catheters. During 48 h following catheterization, platelet counts decreased 64.2 .+-. 15.2% from baseline. There was no corresponding change in the control dogs. Calculated platelet survival times (based on decay in platelet radioactivity over time) were 102 .+-. 6.5 h for the experimental group and 139.8 .+-. 16.3 h for controls (P < 0.01). Postmortem examination of 1 sample dog demonstrated thrombus formation along the length of the catheter and in the pulmonary artery. Significant thrombocytopenia with decreased platelet survival is associated with the use of Swan-Ganz catheters in dogs. The mechanism was not defined. This observation adds an important consideration to the interpretation of platelet kinetics observed in many pathologic states in animals models.

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