THE THERAPEUTIC VALUE OF HPA-1A-NEGATIVE PLATELET TRANSFUSION IN POSTTRANSFUSION PURPURA COMPLICATED BY LIFE-THREATENING HEMORRHAGE

Post-transfusion purpura (PTP) was diagnosed in a female patient 1 wee k after transfusion for hysterectomy. Despite treatment with oral ster oids and intravenous immunoglobulin, platelet counts remained low, and the patient developed profuse rectal bleeding. Random platelet transf usion is reported to be ineffective in PTP. We report a case in which the transfusion of HPA-1a negative platelets provided good increment a nd clinical haemostasis before intravenous immunoglobulin could have h ad an effect.