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Amikacin disaggregates platelet clumps in EDTA blood samples from cats and dogs when added postcollection
Demitria M Vasilatis1, Naomi J Walker2, Dori L Borjesson2
1School of Veterinary Medicine, William R. Pritchard Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital, University of California-Davis, Davis, California, USA.
Background:
Pseudothrombocytopenia may lead to the erroneous diagnosis of thrombocytopenia, resulting in unnecessary testing and treatment. The addition of exogenous substances to blood samples prior to collection has been shown to mitigate platelet (PLT) clumps in blood samples. Postcollection additives aiming to disaggregate PLT clumps have been largely unexplored.
Objectives:
We aimed to determine if the addition of amikacin to blood samples postcollection aids in the disaggregation of PLT clumps in cats and dogs.
Methods:
For this prospective study, EDTA-collected blood samples from 28 cats and 17 dogs were obtained from a hospital population at UC Davis Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital. Samples had PLT clumps detected on blood smears and thrombocytopenia per analyzer count. Amikacin was added to samples postcollection, and an additional CBC was performed. Flow cytometry was performed to assess PLT-fibrinogen binding in amikacin-treated aliquots.
Results:
PLT-clumped samples treated with amikacin significantly increased PLT numbers by 134% and decreased mean platelet volume (MPV) values by 14% (P ≤ 0.0001) in cats, and increased PLT numbers by 32% (P = 0.04) and increased MPV values by 9% (P = 0.02) in dogs. Mean cell volume (MCV) slightly increased (<4%) for both species. No other CBC parameters were substantially affected by the addition of amikacin. Flow cytometry showed decreased PLT-fibrinogen binding in the majority of cats but was not significant (P > 0.05).
Conclusions:
Adding amikacin to PLT-clumped blood samples postcollection may be a convenient solution for pseudothrombocytopenia in cats and dogs. Future studies are needed to elucidate the mechanism of amikacin and its effectiveness under different storage conditions. This is the first reported use of amikacin postcollection to disaggregate PLT clumps in blood samples from animals.
Insights
Adding amikacin to blood samples postcollection can help correct pseudothrombocytopenia in cats and dogs by disaggregating platelet clumps. This study shows amikacin effectively increases platelet counts in affected animal blood samples.
Area of Science:
- Veterinary Hematology
- Clinical Pathology
Background:
- Pseudothrombocytopenia, characterized by platelet clumps, can lead to misdiagnosis and unnecessary treatments.
- Pre-collection additives can mitigate platelet clumping, but post-collection methods are less explored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the efficacy of post-collection amikacin addition in disaggregating platelet clumps in feline and canine blood samples.
- To assess the impact of amikacin on complete blood count (CBC) parameters and platelet-fibrinogen binding.
Main Methods:
- Prospective study involving EDTA-collected blood samples from 28 cats and 17 dogs with confirmed platelet clumps and thrombocytopenia.
- Amikacin was added post-collection to affected samples, followed by repeat CBC analysis.
- Flow cytometry was used to evaluate platelet-fibrinogen binding in amikacin-treated samples.
Main Results:
- Amikacin significantly increased platelet counts in cats (134%) and dogs (32%), while decreasing mean platelet volume (MPV) in cats (14%) and increasing it in dogs (9%).
- Minor increases in mean cell volume (MCV) were observed in both species, with no significant impact on other CBC parameters.
- Flow cytometry indicated a trend towards decreased platelet-fibrinogen binding in cats, though not statistically significant.
Conclusions:
- Post-collection amikacin addition offers a potential solution for pseudothrombocytopenia in veterinary patients.
- This study represents the first report of amikacin used post-collection to disaggregate platelet clumps in animal blood.
- Further research is warranted to understand amikacin's mechanism and optimal use under various storage conditions.
