title: Heparin induced thrombocytopenia: review.
abstract: Heparin induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) is a serious, potentially life and limb threatening immune adverse reaction to heparin. IgG antibodies against platelet factor 4 and heparin multimer complexes activate platelets to create a prothrombotic state. ELISA based immunoassay to detect these antibodies is sensitive while serotonin release assay is highly specific but is not widely available. 4T score is a simple score to calculate pre-test probability of HIT. Score < 3 is highly specific to exclude the diagnosis. Alternate anticoagulants like lepirudin, argatroban or danaparoid are recommended in therapeutic dose to treat or prevent thrombotic events in HIT. Increased awareness of this condition among clinicians is important to ensure its early recognition and treatment to avoid serious complications.
authors.affiliation: Department of Transfusion Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, WP P230, 619 19th Street South, Birmingham, AL 35249-7331, USA. r_dasararaju@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Radhika
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dasararaju
authors.forename: Nirupama
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: Amitkumar
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mehta
mesh_terms: D006493:Heparin / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D012307:Risk Factors; D013921:Thrombocytopenia / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000175:diagnosis
chemical_list: D006493:Heparin