title: Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia: principles for early recognition and management.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Section of Vascular Medicine, Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, Ohio 44195, USA. barthoj@ccf.org
authors.forename: John R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Bartholomew
authors.forename: Susan M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Begelman
authors.forename: Amjad
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Almahameed
mesh_terms: D000925:Anticoagulants / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D001120:Arginine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D006493:Heparin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006495:Heparin, Low-Molecular-Weight / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D006629:Hirudins / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D006801:Humans; D010875:Pipecolic Acids / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010976:Platelet Count; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018570:Risk Assessment; D013449:Sulfonamides; D013921:Thrombocytopenia / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000517:prevention & control; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000925:Anticoagulants; D006495:Heparin, Low-Molecular-Weight; D006629:Hirudins; D010875:Pipecolic Acids; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D013449:Sulfonamides; D006493:Heparin; D001120:Arginine; C031942:argatroban; C083544:lepirudin