Inappropriate platelet transfusion in a patient with ethylenediamine tetra- acetic acid (EDTA)--induced pseudothrombocytopenia.

Automated platelet counts in the laboratory may be fictitiously low at times and require manual confirmation. Ethylenediaminetetra-acetic acid (EDTA) in few patients and healthy individuals can induce platelet aggregation, giving rise to a spuriously low automated platelet count. This phenomenon which occurs due to the presence of IgG antibodies, if unrecognized, can result in incorrect diagnosis and consequent inappropriate treatment. We present a patient who received inappropriate platelet transfusion as a result of EDTA induced spurious thrombocytopenia.