Platelets, also known as thrombocytes, are small blood cells. They form in your bone marrow, the sponge-like tissue in your bones. Platelets are essential for blood clotting. A blood clot is a mass of blood that forms when platelets, proteins, and cells in the blood stick together. When you get hurt, your body forms a blood clot to stop the bleeding.
A platelet count is most often used to monitor or diagnose conditions that cause too much bleeding or clotting. A platelet count may be included in a complete blood count, a test that is often done as part of a regular checkup.
Source: MedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of Medicine
Normal range
- Normal
- 150–450 ×10⁹/L
- Female · ≤ 14 d
- 144–449 ×10⁹/L
- Female · 1 mo – 2 mo
- 331–597 ×10⁹/L
- Female · 10 y – 13 y
- 177–381 ×10⁹/L
- Female · 14 y – 17 y
- 158–362 ×10⁹/L
- Female · 15 d – 28 d
- 279–571 ×10⁹/L
- Female · 2 mo – 5 mo
- 247–580 ×10⁹/L
- Female · 2 y – 3 y
- 189–394 ×10⁹/L
- Female · 3 y – 5 y
- 187–445 ×10⁹/L
- Female · 6 mo – 2 y
- 214–459 ×10⁹/L
- Female · 6 y – 9 y
- 187–400 ×10⁹/L
- Female
- 157–371 ×10⁹/L
- Male · ≤ 14 d
- 218–419 ×10⁹/L
- Male · 1 mo – 2 mo
- 229–562 ×10⁹/L
- Male · 10 y – 13 y
- 177–381 ×10⁹/L
- Male · 14 y – 17 y
- 139–320 ×10⁹/L
- Male · 15 d – 28 d
- 248–586 ×10⁹/L
- Male · 2 mo – 5 mo
- 244–529 ×10⁹/L
- Male · 2 y – 3 y
- 202–403 ×10⁹/L
- Male · 3 y – 5 y
- 187–445 ×10⁹/L
- Male · 6 mo – 2 y
- 206–445 ×10⁹/L
- Male · 6 y – 9 y
- 187–400 ×10⁹/L
- Male
- 135–317 ×10⁹/L
Ranges from American Board of Internal Medicine (Laboratory Test Reference Ranges), Mayo Clinic Laboratories (Test Catalog).
All 23 source ranges
What an abnormal result can be associated with
- A high result
- Thrombocytosis
- A low result
- Thrombocytopenia
Associations from LOINC2HPO (Human Phenotype Ontology). This is reference information, not a diagnosis — only a clinician can interpret your result in context.
Details
- Sample
- Whole blood · LOINC
- Part of
- CBC panel
- Listed under
- Platelet Disorders
- Code
- LOINC 777-3 · ×10⁹/L
- Also known as
- Count, Thrombocytes, WB, absolute, Platelt