THE PLATELET-FUNCTION ANALYZER (PFA-100(R)) - A NOVEL IN-VITRO SYSTEMFOR EVALUATION OF PRIMARY HEMOSTASIS IN CHILDREN

The PFA-100 (R) system provides an in-vitro method of assessing primar y platelet-related haemostasis by measuring the time (the closure time , or CT) taken for a platelet plug to occlude a microscopic aperture c ut into a membrane coated with collagen and either epinephrine or ADP. We used the system to establish normal ranges for CTs in healthy chil dren, adults and neonates, Mean CTs of healthy children were independe nt of the needle gauge used (21G or 23G) for blood sampling; they were very similar to the mean CTs of healthy adults, but longer than mean CTs of healthy neonates. Although children with haemophilia had normal CTs, the PFA-100 system was found to be potentially useful in screeni ng for von Willebrand disease in children.