No subjects enrolled

Sepsis is life-threatening and dysregulated response to infection that results in endothelial activation and dysfunction that leads to systemic microvascular leak and multiple-organ failure. This study will identify patients that have sepsis with thrombocytopenia and randomize them to receive a unit of platelets or an equivalent volume of saline.

Sepsis is life-threatening and dysregulated response to infection that results in endothelial activation and dysfunction that leads to systemic microvascular leak and multiple-organ failure. Emerging evidence indicates that platelets occupy a central role in maintaining the balance between vascular health and the response to environmental changes and vascular injury. Platelets are essential for vascular development and required for normal endothelial integrity. Platelets also function at the interface between thrombosis and inflammation. This study will identify patients that have sepsis with thrombocytopenia and randomize them to receive a unit of platelets or an equivalent volume of saline.

Our overall hypotheis is that normal platelet function is required to maintain vascular integrity and can be at least partially restored over the first 24 hours by platelet transfusion in septic patients with thrombocytopenia.

Inclusion Criteria

• Provision of informed consent prior to any study specific procedures
• Female and/or male, age >18 years
• Diagnosis of sepsis based on the Third International Consensus Definitions for Sepsis and Septic Shock
• Platelet count ≤ 50,000/μL

Exclusion Criteria

• Active major bleeding requiring blood transfusion
• Other causes of thrombocytopenia such as idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, high clinical suspicion for heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (or other form of consumptive coagulopathy).