title: A rare disease.
abstract: Thrombocytopenia is a common finding in critically ill patients. Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia is an infrequent cause of a low platelet count. Intensivists should use the diagnostic classification system developed by the International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis to diagnose heparin-induced thrombocytopenia. The clinical relevance of the presence of anti-heparin/platelet factor 4 complex autoantibodies in the absence of clinical heparin-induced thrombocytopenia remains unknown.
authors.affiliation: Department of Intensive Care Medicine, Onze Lieve Vrouwe Gasthuis, HM Amsterdam, The Netherlands. j.p.j.wester@olvg.nl
authors.forename: Jos P J
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Wester
mesh_terms: D016638:Critical Illness; D006493:Heparin / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D010976:Platelet Count; D035583:Rare Diseases; D013921:Thrombocytopenia / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000175:diagnosis*
chemical_list: D006493:Heparin