A 30-year-old presents with hematuria, menorrhagia, and bleeding ...

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A 30-year-old presents with hematuria, menorrhagia, and bleeding gums, and is diagnosed with immune thrombocytic purpura (ITP). A nurse realizes the most likely cause is:
 
  a. allergy-induced platelet lysis.
  b. an immune response to hypersplenism.
  c. antibody destruction of platelets.
  d. T-cell injury to megakaryocytes.

Question 2

A patient is diagnosed with primary thrombocythemia. A nurse would expect the blood smear to reveal _____ platelets.
 
  a. defective
  b. fragmented
  c. consumed
  d. overproduced

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Answer to Question 1

ANS: C
The majority of cases of ITP are due to immune-driven destruction of platelets. It is not due to allergies, hypersplenism, or T-cell injury.

Answer to Question 2

ANS: D
Thrombocythemia is characterized by a platelet count more than 400,000 platelets per cubic mil-limeter of blood and is symptomatic when the count exceeds 1,000,000 platelets per cubic milli-meter, at which time the risk for intravascular clotting (thrombosis) is high. Thrombocythemia is characterized by a high platelet count, not a defective one, a fragmented one, or a consumed one.