1. Platelets

Platelets have a very important role in coagulation. They are what stop the bleeding.

A normal platelet count in a healthy person is between 150 and 000 / mm³.

• In the event of anomalies:

When the rate is too low, the risk of bleeding is greater. Such a rate can point to a malignant pathology, testify to the gravity of a usually benign disease or be life-threatening. The most frequent pathologies leading to too low a rate are acute leukemia, lymphomas, metastases and myelofibrosis.

When the rate is too high, the risk of thrombosis is real. This may indicate bone marrow disease or various factors:

1. Inflammatory disease,
2. Iron deficiency
3. Asplenia and splenectomy,
4. Cancer,
5. Significant stress,
6. Depression.

2. The sedimentation rate

The rate of blood settling is a nonspecific measure of inflammation. It does not allow a precise diagnosis but is very simple to perform.

It is a few millimeters per hour in a normal person.  It should not exceed 15 for men and 20 for women.

• In the event of anomalies:

It is increased in the event of inflammation (infections, rheumatism, certain parasitoses, cirrhosis, temporal arteritis or Horton’s disease, etc.) and may also be high in the event of anemia or pregnancy.