A real-world study of immune thrombocytopenia management during the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK.
The COVID-19 pandemic has created many challenges in the management of immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP). The recommendation for avoidance of steroids by WHO led to the off-licence use, supported by NHS England, of thrombopoietin mimetics (TPO-RA) for newly diagnosed or relapsed ITP. This is a real-world prospective study which investigated the treatment patterns and outcomes in this setting. Twenty-four hospitals across the UK submitted 343 cases. Corticosteroids remain the mainstay of ITP treatment, but TPO-RAs were more effective. Incidental COVID-19 infection was identified in a significant number of patients (9·5%), while 14 cases were thought to be secondary to COVID-19 vaccination.
['Rampotas|Alexandros|A|https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2681-5860', 'Watson|Edmund|E|', 'Burton|Kieran|K|', 'Hill|Quentin A|QA|https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0627-4358', 'Pavord|Sue|S|https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0840-5614']
immune thrombocytopenia thrombocytopenia COVID coronavirus disease 2019 platelets