Reduction in platelet count in post CABG patients with or without IABP- an experience at AFIC/NIHD Rawalpindi

ABSTRACT

To study the reduction in platelet count in patients after coronary artery bypass grafting having IABP placed peri operatively with and without IABP placed. Descriptive Study. Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology/National Institute of Heart Diseases [AFIC/NIHD] from Jan 2012 to Dec 2013. All cases with intra-aortic balloon pump [IABP] placed peri operatively [coronary artery bypass grafting, CABG] during this time period were examined in detail. Only those patients who had a platelet count of 150,000 or more pre operatively were included in the study. Patients taking medicines pre operatively that lead to decrease in platelet count were excluded. Platelet counts of each patient were analyzed till the third post-operative day. One hundred and fifty patients were divided into two equal groups, group A without IABP and group B with IABP. Patients without IABP [group A] pre operatively had mean platelet count of 223.57 +/- 83.02, on first post op day the mean platelet count was 171.0 +/- 59.0 which was 76.48% of preoperative level, on second post op day the mean platelet count was 168.1 +/- 59.4 which was 75.20% of preoperative level and on third post op day the mean platelet count was 167.5 +/- 60.0 which was 74.95% of pre-operative level. Patients with IABP [group B], pre operatively had mean platelet count of 205.32 +/- 50.257, on first post op day the mean platelet count of 152.71 +/- 43.77 which was 74.37% of preoperative level, on second post op day the mean platelet count was 112.11 +/- 42.571 which was 54.60% of preoperative level and on third post op day the platelet count was 90.87 +/- 41.538 which was 44.25% of preoperative level. There was significant reduction in platelet count from the pre-operative level in both the groups. Reduction in platelet count in post CABG patients is similar in both the groups i.e. in whom IABP is and those patients who are not treated with IABP