Thrombocytopenia describes a condition in which the patient has abnormally low levels of platelets. Platelets are cells within the blood that help induce clotting in response to an injury. Patients can develop thrombocytopenia as a result of certain medications (including some blood thinners) or due to certain diseases.
Corticosteroids
One treatment for thrombocytopenia, according to the National Heart and Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI), is corticosteroids (which include the prescription medication prednisone). Corticosteroids work to suppress the immune system. This function can be used to treat thrombocytopenia because one of the things that the immune system does is remove older platelets from the blood circulation. As a result, inhibiting the immune system can temporarily increase the levels of platelets in the patient's blood, treating the thrombocytopenia.
Injectable Blood Products
The Boston Children's Hospital notes that two other treatments for thrombocytopenia are made from donor blood and are injected into the patient's circulatory system. These treatments, called intravenous gamma globulin and Rh immune globulin, are both made from human plasma, which is the cell-free portion of the blood. These two compounds are proteins that inhibit the rate at which the spleen eliminates platelets from the blood.
Thrombopoietin Receptor Agonists
Another type of drug which can treat thrombocytopenia is the thrombopoietin receptor agonist class of medications. Thrombopoietin is a protein that is made by the body which stimulates the production of platelets. Thrombopoietin receptor agonists are able to mimic the effects of thrombopoetin, thus increasing the number of platelets. The National Cancer Institute lists romiplostim as one such medication. Medline notes that another similar drug is eltrombopag. Priory.com explains that clinical trials or synthetically made thrombopoietin are ongoing, which means that this medication can be used for some patients but is still considered to be experimental.
