Assessing the Role of Platelet Function in Adult Thrombocytopenia: A Hospital-Based Cross-Sectional Study

Thrombocytopenia is a common hematological abnormality encountered in adult patients, particularly in hospitalized and critically ill populations. Conventional clinical practice relies predominantly on platelet count to assess bleeding risk; However, increasing evidence suggests that platelet function plays a decisive role in determining hemostatic competence. Functional platelet abnormalities may lead to bleeding even when platelet counts are within clinically acceptable ranges. To evaluate platelet function in adult patients with thrombocytopenia using routine hematological parameters and peripheral blood smear examination, and to correlate functional platelet abnormalities with clinical bleeding manifestations. A significant proportion of patients exhibited bleeding manifestations despite platelet counts above conventional transfusion thresholds. Elevated MPV and PDW values showed a statistically significant association with bleeding risk. Peripheral smear examination revealed morphological abnormalities such as giant platelets and hypogranular platelets, which correlated with functional impairment. Platelet count alone demonstrated limited predictive value for bleeding risk.