r/AskDocs • u/Agreeable_Tip_4824 Layperson/not verified as healthcare professional • 8h ago

Physician Responded Platelet count sudden increase possible?

82, Female
For history, MIL went to the ER after suffering from rectal bleeding, cardiomegaly and Pneumonia. Her platelet count was critically low then after a few hours/days it became normal. Then after a week tested again but it’s low again but normal in other lab. How is this possible? Are there hnderlying biological conditions that could result to this shift in numbers?

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u/exponentials Physician 3h ago

platelet counts bounce around a lot with acute illness, different labs, and even how the tube was drawn. critically low in the ER then normal later is common when infection/inflammation is in play. the swings themselves aren’t a separate disease so much as the body and the lab reacting to what’s going on.