RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia
JF Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine
JO Cleve Clin J Med
FD Cleveland Clinic
SP S31
OP S36
VO 72
IS 4 suppl 1
A1 Bartholomew, John R.
A1 Begelman, Susan M.
A1 Almahameed, Amjad
YR 2005
UL http://www.ccjm.org/content/72/4_suppl_1/S31.abstract
AB Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) is a potentially devastating complication of therapy with either unfractionated or low-molecular-weight heparin. Thrombocytopenia is no longer essential for the diagnosis of HIT, since a 50% drop in the platelet count may be a more specific indicator. Once HIT is clinically suspected, heparin should be stopped immediately and direct thrombin inhibitor therapy started; waiting for laboratory confirmation may be catastrophic.