FOREIGN LANGUAGE REVIEWS
In this excellent monograph the author has organized a great deal of information about thrombocytes; much of it has clinical relevance. Methods of testing the survival time and activity of platelets employing several isotopic techniques, and methods for preparing and storing thrombocyte concentrates are presented first.
The second half is devoted to the technique, clinical application, and immunologic consequences of platelet transfusions. In cases of thrombocytopenia resulting from inadequate platelet production, transfusion of platelet concentrates has become a valuable aid to prevent hemorrhage. This benefit diminishes after numerous transfusions, due to the detrimental effect of immune mechanisms on platelet function. In idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, the survival of transfused platelets is so short that the only value of transfusion is in preparation for splenectomy.
The monograph is documented with an up-to-date international bibliography of 341 entries. The most recent related major English language publication is K. M. Brinkhous,