What Is the Treatment for an Elevated Platelet Count?
Doctors treat an elevated platelet count, called thrombocytosis, by targeting its root cause. Thrombocytosis can result from a blood or bone marrow disease, which can overproduce and elevate the amount of platelets in the blood, states Mayo Clinic.
There are several causes for an elevated platelet count in the blood. Bone marrow disorders may cause thrombocytosis by producing too many platelets. Platelets are important in blood clotting, but too many of them can lead to life-threatening clots in the body, suggests Mayo Clinic. Another form of thrombocytosis is a reaction to certain problems in the body. Surgery, infections, chronic kidney failure and cancer can all lead to reactive thrombocytosis.
Spleen removal is also a large factor in an elevated platelet count. Some patients without spleens suffer from continuous thrombocytosis. In those cases, doctors can prescribe aspirin to curtail bleeding and clotting, notes Mayo Clinic. Surgery or an injury that involved blood loss may result in an elevated platelet count for a short amount of time. However, other disorders might result in a consistently high platelet count.
Overall, doctors treat the cause of the thrombocytosis, whether it is a bone marrow disorder or another issue. Treating the cause of the thrombocytosis makes the elevated platelet count decrease on its own, states Mayo Clinic.
