title: Successful treatment of massive pulmonary embolism after coronary artery bypass grafting due to heparin-induced thrombocytopenia.
abstract: Massive pulmonary embolism is a rare complication in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting. Frequently patients have had exposure to heparin before the operation. In this article we report a patient who 6 days after a cardiac operation suffered a massive pulmonary embolism. The patient was later discovered to have heparin-associated thrombocytopenia with serum heparin antibody. We recommend patients receiving heparin have frequent platelet counts and those with induced thrombocytopenia undergo sensitivity testing.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, University of Toronto, Toronto Hospital, Ont., Canada.
authors.forename: A C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Ralph-Edwards
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Feindel
authors.forename: M F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Glynn
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass; D017128:Embolectomy; D006493:Heparin / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D011655:Pulmonary Embolism / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D013921:Thrombocytopenia / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000150:complications
chemical_list: D006493:Heparin