B

A matched case-control study of 10 cardiac surgery patients with Werlhof’s disease (idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura) found postoperative chest-tube blood loss and re-exploration rates comparable to controls, leading the authors to conclude that these patients “may possibly undergo cardiac surgery without a markedly enhanced risk for bleeding complications,” despite needing more platelet transfusions [Christiansen 2000, PMID 10973547].