Dr. Nabili received his undergraduate degree from the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), majoring in chemistry and biochemistry. He then completed his graduate degree at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). His graduate training included a specialized fellowship in public health where his research focused on environmental health and health-care delivery and management.
Dr. Shiel received a Bachelor of Science degree with honors from the University of Notre Dame. There he was involved in research in radiation biology and received the Huisking Scholarship. After graduating from St. Louis University School of Medicine, he completed his Internal Medicine residency and Rheumatology fellowship at the University of California, Irvine. He is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Rheumatology.
Thrombocytopenia is a lower than normal number of
platelets in the blood.
Platelets are one of the components of the blood along with white and red
blood cells. Platelets play an important role in clotting and bleeding.
Platelets are made in the bone marrow similar to other cells in the blood such
as, white blood cells and red blood cells.
Platelets originate from megakaryocytes which are large cells found in the bone
marrow. The fragments of
these megakaryocytes are platelets that are released into the blood stream. The
circulating platelets make up about two third of the platelets that are released
from the bone marrow. The other one third is typically stored (sequestered) in
the spleen.
Platelets, in general, have a brief 7 to 10 days life in
the blood, after which they are removed from the blood circulation. The number of platelets in
the blood is referred to as the platelet count and is
normally between 150,000 to 450,000 per micro liter (one millionth of a liter) of blood. Platelet counts
less than 150,000 are termed thrombocytopenia. Platelet counts greater that
450,000 are called thrombocytosis.
The function of platelets is very important in the
clotting system. Platelets are a part of a very complicated pathway. They
circulate in the blood vessels and become activated if there is any bleeding or
injury in the body.
Certain chemicals are released from the injured blood vessels or other structures
that signal platelets to become activated and join the other components of the
system to stop the bleeding. When activated, the platelets become sticky and
adhere to one another and to the blood vessel wall at the site of the injury to
slow down and stop the bleeding by plugging up the damaged blood vessel or
tissue (hemostasis).
It is important to note that, even though, the platelet numbers are decreased
in thrombocytopenia, their function usually remains completely intact. Other
disorders exist that can cause impaired platelet function despite normal
platelet count.
Low platelet count in severe cases may result in spontaneous bleeding or may
cause delay in the normal process of clotting. In mild thrombocytopenia, there
may be no adverse effects in the clotting or bleeding pathways.
Kidney failure can occur from an acute event or a chronic condition or disease. Prerenal kidney failure is caused by blood loss, dehydration, medication.
Anemia is the condition of having less than the normal number of red blood cells or less than the normal quantity of hemoglobin in the blood. The oxygen-carrying
A hematoma is a collection of blood that is outside a blood vessel. There are different areas where hematomas occur including the inside the skull, scalp,
Leukemia is a type of cancer of the blood cells in which the growth and development of the blood cells are abnormal. Strictly speaking, leukemia should
Systemic lupus erythematosus is a condition characterized by chronic inflammation of body tissues caused by autoimmune disease. Lupus can cause disease
The spleen enlarges if it is asked to do excessive work in filtering or manufacturing blood cells, if there is abnormal blood flow to it, or if it is invaded
Pernicious anemia is a blood disorder in which the body does not make enough red blood cells due to a lack of vitamin B12 in the blood. Pernicious anemia
Mumps is an acute viral illness caused by the mumps virus. Symptoms of mumps include fever, headache, muscle aches, tiredness, and loss of appetite; followed
The hepatitis B virus (HBV, hep B) is a unique, coated DNA virus belonging to the Hepadnaviridae family of viruses. The course of the virus is determined
Vasculitis is a general term for a group of uncommon diseases which feature inflammation of the blood vessels. Each form of vasculitis has its own characteristic
Fifth disease (Erythema infectiosum) is caused by a virus known as parvovirus B 19. Symptoms include low-grade fever, fatigue, a "rash," and a rash over
There are many types of E. coli (Escherichia coli ). Pathogenic E. coli can cause urinary tract and bladder infections, or lead to sepsis. E coli O157:H7
Idiopathic means that the cause of the condition isn't known. Thrombocytopenic means there's a lower than normal number of platelets in the blood. Purpura
German measles is a disease that's caused by a virus. Symptoms include rash and fever for two to three days. The MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) vaccine
A heart attack involves damage or death of part of the heart muscle due to a blood clot. The aim of heart attack treatment is to prevent or stop this damage
A heart attack (also known as a myocardial infarction or MI) is the death of heart muscle from the sudden blockage by a blood clot in a coronary artery that supplies blood to the heart. Bl"...
