The relationship between hematocrit and bleeding time in very low birth weight infants during the first week of life.

OBJECTIVES

The bleeding time is a measurement of platelet and capillary interaction following a small standardized cutaneous incision. In adults, anemia causes a prolongation of the bleeding time, and we hypothesized that the same would be true in very low birth weight (VLBW) infants during their first week of life.

STUDY

DESIGN

Template bleeding times, using the Surgicutt Newborn device, were performed on 20 VLBW weight infants <or=7 days old, before, and again following a clinically ordered erythrocyte transfusion.

RESULTS

Neonates who had pretransfusion hematocrits <or=0.28 l/l had longer bleeding times, which fell 164+/-25 seconds (mean+/-SD; p<0.0001) following transfusion. Patients with pretransfusion hematocrits >0.28 l/l had no significant reduction in bleeding time following transfusion.

CONCLUSIONS

In VLBW infants, during their first week of life (the time when their risk of intraventricular hemorrhage is greatest), a low hematocrit is associated with a significant prolongation in the bleeding time.