Pulmonary hypertension and platelet function

Abstract

Platelet number and function were measured in patients (n = 45) who underwent open-heart surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). The study showed that platelet adhesion and aggregation were higher in the patients who suffered from congenital heart disease with pulmonary hypertension than in those in the control group, i.e. without pulmonary hypertension. Platelet number and function gradually increased in the experimental group after the operation and postoperative blood loss was greater than that in the control group. The reason for this may have been platelet hyperfunction in patients with pulmonary hypertension, which resulted in platelet destruction and severe depletion during operation. Therefore, it is difficult to achieve haemosttasis and prevent blood loss.