title: Fondaparinux for the treatment of acute heparin-induced thrombocytopenia: a single-center experience.
abstract: Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) is a life-threatening immune response to heparin that is associated with a high risk of thromboembolic complications. The syndrome is caused by antibodies that are reactive against complexes of platelet factor 4/heparin (PF4/H). For patients with HIT, the discontinuation of heparin alone is not sufficient and the diagnosis necessitates the administration of an alternative anticoagulant. Fondaparinux is a synthetic pentasaccharide that binds to antithrombin and potentiates inhibition of factor Xa. Data have shown that fondaparinux is structurally too short to induce an antibody response and could be a useful agent to treat HIT. In our hospital, we retrospectively analyzed the use of fondaparinux in the treatment of 24 patients with acute HIT during unfractionated heparin (UFH) or low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) administration and compared the results to a similar population of 20 patients who were treated with lepirudin. The treated patients had a complete platelet count recovery, and none experienced a new thromboembolic complication or major bleeding. The development of limb gangrene (2 patients who received lepirudin and 1 who received fondaparinux) likely resulted from a delay in diagnosis and treatment initiation. Our data suggest that fondaparinux may be considered a safe and an effective alternative treatment in HIT complicated with or without thrombosis.
authors.affiliation: Transfusion Medicine Department, KAT General Hospital, Athens, Greece. egrouzi@otenet.gr
authors.forename: Elisavet
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Grouzi
authors.forename: Elias
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kyriakou
authors.forename: Ioannis
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Panagou
authors.forename: Ioanna
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Spiliotopoulou
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000925:Anticoagulants / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D000077425:Fondaparinux; D006495:Heparin, Low-Molecular-Weight / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011134:Polysaccharides / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013921:Thrombocytopenia / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000925:Anticoagulants; D006495:Heparin, Low-Molecular-Weight; D011134:Polysaccharides; D000077425:Fondaparinux