Difference Between Platelet Count And Mean Platelet Volume

Daytonite, BSN, RN · Oct 29, 2008

what is the difference between regular platelet count and mean platelet volume?

you can look up information about lab tests and their meanings on these web sites:

medicine net procedures & tests a to z index
http://www.medicinenet.com/procedures_and_tests/article.htm
web md index list of tests
http://www.webmd.com/a_to_z_guide/medical_tests.htm
lab tests online
http://www.labtestsonline.org/

i have a patient, left hand amputee , cause of recurring sarcoma, 83 year old. also if there is any diagnosis you think that will go with this guy, his hemoglobin and hematocrit is low also. hema 11.9 hematocrit 30.3

diagnosing is based upon the signs and symptoms the patient is displaying. every nursing diagnosis has a list of signs and symptoms (responses that the patient will display). a low h&h might indicate

deficient fluid volume

. however, with a left hand amputation i would expect the patient to have problems performing some adls. you need to assess for those. you also need to assess for the patient's psych response to the amputation.

TheFuture09 · Oct 29, 2008

Thanks for you response, very much appreciated. I have looked up those two diffrent labs and I dont understand the true meaning of it because my pt has a regular Platelet and a low platelet mean. As for the dignosis, that really helped me open my eyes to what i can use. I can add that he is 83 year old and he has Hypertesnion, Osteoarthritis, CAD, and his RBC and Hematocrit are down, he was very aggitated and confused , so i think thats why they gave him the blood?

TheFuture09 · Oct 29, 2008

Im sorry to add to my last post, if i used Deficient fluid volume , would i say related to excessive ecf losses.........as evidence by his hematocrit and hemoglobin (low) and how about the sodium serum?

Daytonite, BSN, RN · Oct 29, 2008

The mean platelet volume measures the size of the platelets. This figure will be low when there is aplastic anemia, myelosuppression as a result of chemotherapy or in Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome (a bleeding disorder). Sarcoma is a cancer that can affect the bones. Blood cells are manufactured in the bone marrow. Is it possible that this patient's cancer is affecting his blood forming ability? Has he been receiving chemotherpy? Many chemo drugs have a side effect of disrupting the blood forming processes.

Blood would not be given only because a patient was aggitated and confused. It was because his H&H was very low. Blood is expensive and transfusion carries risk.

Hypertesnion, osteoarthritis, and CAD are medical diagnoses. You need to break them down into symptoms and see what symptoms the patient had. I can suggest that the patient's confusion might be related to his CAD. CAD (coronary artery disease) is atherosclerosis of the heart. It is probably the reason for his hypertension as well. If he has atherosclerosis of the heart, I wonder where else he has clogged arteries? What medications is he on? Anything for the heart and hypertension?

Daytonite, BSN, RN · Oct 29, 2008

Im sorry to add to my last post, if i used Deficient fluid volume , would i say related to excessive ecf losses.........as evidence by his hematocrit and hemoglobin (low)?

Yes

and how about the sodium serum?

What's going on with his sodium?

TheFuture09 · Oct 29, 2008

The mean platelet volume measures the size of the platelets. This figure will be low when there is aplastic anemia, myelosuppression as a result of chemotherapy or in Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome (a bleeding disorder). Sarcoma is a cancer that can affect the bones. Blood cells are manufactured in the bone marrow. Is it possible that this patient's cancer is affecting his blood forming ability? Has he been receiving chemotherpy? Many chemo drugs have a side effect of disrupting the blood forming processes.
Blood would not be given only because a patient was aggitated and confused. It was because his H&H was very low. Blood is expensive and transfusion carries risk.
Hypertesnion, osteoarthritis, and CAD are medical diagnoses. You need to break them down into symptoms and see what symptoms the patient had. I can suggest that the patient's confusion might be related to his CAD. CAD (coronary artery disease) is atherosclerosis of the heart. It is probably the reason for his hypertension as well. If he has atherosclerosis of the heart, I wonder where else he has clogged arteries? What medications is he on? Anything for the heart and hypertension?

Okay..lets see...he has recurrent sacroma so thats why he came in to get the amputation, this is what i know for the little time i got to see him n document. Yes he takes Promethazine, Acetaminophin, Morphine Sulfate, Gabpentin, Docusate, AmiTriptyline, Enoxaprin, Calcium carbonate, Nifedipine , beneprotein. Those are what he is taking onw.......his serum sodium is 134 which is low a little. I am just having a hard time coming up with a diagnosis for him. (biophysical)....Glucose serum is at 107 also. The dianosis has to patient centered as you know, i dont know if u could help with what i have so far.

TheFuture09 · Oct 29, 2008

he has a little more information if thats not enough, i have more labs, but those are the big abnormal ones i see right now. unless u ask for specifics...

Daytonite, BSN, RN · Oct 29, 2008

what i am trying to get you to see is that this patient must have self-care or impaired physical mobility because of his amputated hand. this would be seen by observing how he eats, dresses and accomplishes his adls.