Nawaz's platelet count drops again: personal physician

Says cause needs to be diagnosed and established without delay

The personal physician of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif – Dr Adnan – has again raised alarm over the PML-N's supremo's deteriorating health and said the platelet count has dropped again to 38,000.

The doctor added that the platelet count drop was witnessed after doctors tried to reduce administered steroid dose.

“Former PM Nawaz Sharif remains critical,” Dr Khan tweeted. “The treating doctors tried to reduce the Steroids dose being given to him but unfortunately resulted in a drop in platelet count again which has come down to 38*10^3/uL yesterday.”

He also added that severe existent co-morbidities (IHD, ECVD, DM, HTN, CKD3) has added to the seriousness of the nature of the critical illness.

Former PM #NawazSharif remains critical. The treating doctors tried to reduce the Steroids dose being given to him but unfortunately resulted in drop in Platelet count again which has come down to 38*10^3/uL yesterday.
The cause needs to be diagnosed & established without delay.

— DR. ADNAN KHAN (@Dr_Khan) November 2, 2019

“A very delicate balance has to be maintained between coagulation & anti-coagulation to sustain fragile unstable health status,” he stressed.

The health of three-time prime minister showed improvement earlier on Friday as his platelet count reached 55,000.

Nawaz has been admitted in Lahore’s Services Hospital for the past 12 days. He was diagnosed with acute idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) and underwent a five-day Intravenous Immunoglobulin (IVIg) therapy. The former prime minister also suffered an angina attack during his hospitalisation.

However, the head of the government-constituted medical board, Dr Mahmood Ayaz, recommended against discharge.

Acute Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura

More commonly referred to as immune thrombocytopenia (ITP), it is a disorder that can lead to easy or excessive bruising and bleeding.

According to Mayo Clinic, the bleeding results from unusually low levels of platelets — the cells that help blood clot. The symptoms include easy or excessive bruising, superficial bleeding into the skin that appears as pinpoint-sized reddish-purple spots (petechiae) that look like a rash – usually on the lower legs, bleeding from the gums or nose.

Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) therapy

According to Harvard Medical School, intravenous immunoglobulin is primarily used to treat other autoimmune and inflammatory conditions.

Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) contains the pooled immunoglobulin G (IgG) immunoglobulins from the plasma of approximately a thousand or more blood donors, according to E-medicine.