Don’t transfuse platelets to patients with ICH on antiplatelet agents

The Platelet transfusion and Stroke management pages have been updated with information from the PATCH RCT published in Lancet that demonstrated an increase in disability and mortality from platelet transfusion in patients with supratentorial ICH on mostly aspirin, clopidogrel and/or dipyridamole. The exact mechanism for this is unclear.

Baharoglu, MI, Cordonnier, C, Salman, RA-S, et al. Platelet transfusion versus standard care after acute stroke due to spontaneous cerebral haemorrhage associated with antiplatelet therapy (PATCH): a randomised, open-label, phase 3 trial. The Lancet 2016.