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Neonatology pp 1–16Cite as

Coagulation Disorders: Clinical Aspects of Platelet Disorders

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Abstract

Platelets contribute to primary hemostasis, and their function is affected by their number and condition. Platelets arise from the fragmentation of megakaryocytes in the bone marrow and circulate in the blood as disk-shaped non-nucleated particles, with a life span of 7–10 days. Their average diameter is about 1.5 μm, 20% of the diameter of erythrocytes. Once released from the bone marrow, young platelets enter the circulation, where a large proportion pool in the spleen. It has been suggested that this splenic sequestration of young platelets is the result of a longer transit time of large platelets through the splenic cords. The spleen serves as a reservoir for platelets, containing about one-third, which are then able to enter the circulation after exercise or epinephrine administration. In addition to the spleen, the lungs also contain a small pool of platelets, perhaps 10–15% of the total number, and these are also able to enter the circulation after exercise or epinephrine administration (Sola and Christensen 2000).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Di Venere Hospital, ASL Bari, Bari, Italy

    Antonio Del Vecchio

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  1. Antonio Del Vecchio
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Correspondence to Antonio Del Vecchio .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Siena, Italy

    Giuseppe Buonocore

  2. Medicina della Riproduzione, Università di Siena Dipto. Pediatria, Ostetricia e, Siena, Italy

    Rodolfo Bracci

  3. Liverpool Women's Hospital Neonatal Unit, Liverpool, United Kingdom

    Michael Weindling

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Del Vecchio, A. (2018). Coagulation Disorders: Clinical Aspects of Platelet Disorders. In: Buonocore, G., Bracci, R., Weindling, M. (eds) Neonatology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-18159-2_240-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-18159-2_240-2

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Chapter history

  1. Latest

    Coagulation Disorders: Clinical Aspects of Platelet Disorders
    Published:
    08 February 2018

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-18159-2_240-2

  2. Original

    Coagulation Disorders: Clinical Aspects of Platelet Disorders
    Published:
    30 March 2017

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-18159-2_240-1

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