Complete blood count
Platelets
Platelets are the small cell fragments that clump together to stop bleeding. The count tells you how many are circulating.
Typical adult reference range
Roughly 150 to 400 · x10^9/L
Ranges vary between laboratories and by age, sex and method. Always read your own result against the range printed on your own report.
What a high result can mean
A raised platelet count often follows infection, inflammation, iron deficiency, or surgery, and settles once the trigger passes. Persistently high counts sometimes reflect a bone marrow condition and are usually rechecked before anyone acts on them.
What a low result can mean
A low count can follow viral infection, some medicines, heavy alcohol use, liver disease, or an immune process where the body clears its own platelets. Very low counts raise the risk of easy bruising and bleeding and are followed up promptly.
What commonly affects this result
Recent infection, pregnancy, alcohol, and clumping in the sample tube, which can make the count read falsely low.
Questions worth asking your doctor
- Is this a new change or has my count been like this before?
- Could any medicine or recent infection explain it?
- Does this level need repeating, and how soon?
See what your own results say
Upload your blood test and get a plain English summary of every value on it, with the questions worth raising at your next appointment.
Analyse my resultsThis page explains what a test measures. It is general information, not medical advice, and it cannot tell you what your own result means. Reference ranges differ between laboratories, and results are only meaningful alongside your history, your symptoms and your other results. Always discuss your results with your doctor.