Key result
A single 10 mg dose of dexamethasone did not cause a clinically important effect on platelet function, with unchanged aggregation and only moderately prolonged bleeding times in women.
Why the study?
Does dexamethasone affect platelet function and bleeding times in healthy adults and patients?
Does dexamethasone affect platelet function and bleeding times in healthy adults and patients?
Single high doses of dexamethasone do not cause a clinically important effect on platelet function, despite a moderate prolongation of bleeding time in women.
Supports single-dose dexamethasone use without platelet monitoring; leaves open effects in coagulopathic patients or with repeated dosing.
To assess the effects of dexamethasone on platelet function, aggregation studies were performed on nine healthy adults before and after ingestion of a single dose of dexamethasone 10 mg, and on six patients receiving daily dexamethasone. Bleeding times were done on 14 volunteers before and after a similar drug dose. Platelet aggregation by ADP, epinephrine and collagen was unchanged after dexamethasone in the healthy subjects and aggregation curves in the patient group were comparable to the normals. Bleeding times were moderatley prolonged in women (from 284 +/- 58 seconds to 389 +/- 114 seconds) but not in men. This prolongation was much less pronounced than that which occurs with low doses of aspirin and no subject experienced delayed bleeding. Dexamethasone in single high doses probably does not cuase a clinically important effect on platelet function.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Lichtenfeld et al. (1979) studied Healthy adults and patients receiving dexamethasone (n=29). Dexamethasone vs. Baseline (before ingestion) was evaluated on Platelet function (aggregation and bleeding times). A single 10 mg dose of dexamethasone did not cause a clinically important effect on platelet function, with unchanged aggregation and only moderately prolonged bleeding times in women.
Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context: