Pseudothrombocytopenia in Patients with Scrub Typhus Infection.

Pseudothrombocytopenia is an ex vivo EDTA-dependent artefactual thrombocytopenia, that has been described in association with several conditions. When EDTA-blood samples are drawn from patients with pseudothrombocytopenia and analysed by automated cell counters, low platelet counts are obtained (often below 50,000/mm). However, simultaneous heparinised samples show normal platelet counts, and peripheral smears show no reduction in numbers of platelets.