Utility of thromboelastography during neuraxial blockade in the parturient with thrombocytopenia.

No consensus exists on when it is safe to administer neuraxial blockade in a patient with a low platelet count. It has been suggested that thromboelastography (TEG) may be useful in assessing platelet function in parturients with thrombocytopenia. The purpose of the study was to analyze the incidence of neurologic complications, if any, related to regional anesthesia in parturients with a platelet count less than 100,000 mm-3 and especially those with less than 80,000 mm3 and normal TEG values. The data were prospectively collected during a 3-year period. All parturients whose platelet count was less than 100,000 mm(-3) were required to have TEG before a neuraxial technique was administered. This case series suggests that neuraxial techniques in parturients can be performed with a platelet count greater than 56,000 mm3 and a normal TEG result.