title: Low incidence of thrombocytopenia with porcine mucosal heparin. A prospective multicenter study.
abstract: We treated 193 patients either intravenously (94) or subcutaneously (99) for at least 5 days with porcine intestinal mucosal heparin and followed them up prospectively with frequent platelet counts to determine the incidence of heparin-related thrombocytopenia and arterial thrombosis. None of the patients in the study developed severe thrombocytopenia (platelet count, less than 100 x 10(9)/L) or arterial thrombosis. Eight patients had a platelet count of 100 to 140 X 10(9)/L on one occasion, with a count of greater than 140 x 10(9)/L on the subsequent measurement. The mean (+/- SD) values of the initial and lowest platelet counts during therapy in all patients were 288 +/- 100 x 10(9)/L and 253 +/- 88 x 10(9)/L, respectively, with the lowest counts occurring on day 4.1 +/- 4.2. A least-squares line was computed for each patient to fit the day and counts; the slopes were significantly different from zero and negative in 7.8% of patients and positive in 14.5%. This multicenter study confirms the reports that the incidence of heparin-related severe thrombocytopenia and arterial thrombosis is distinctly low in patients treated with porcine-mucosal heparin.
authors.affiliation: Thrombosis Research Center, Temple University School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19140.
authors.forename: A K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Rao
authors.forename: G C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: White
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sherman
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Colman
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lan
authors.forename: A P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Ball
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006493:Heparin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D007279:Injections, Subcutaneous; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015337:Multicenter Studies as Topic; D010976:Platelet Count / Q000187:drug effects; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013552:Swine; D013921:Thrombocytopenia / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D006493:Heparin