Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Thrombocytopenia and heparin exposure are common in critically ill patients, yet immune heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT), a prothrombotic adverse effect of heparin, rarely accounts for thrombocytopenia in this patient population. The review discusses the clinical and laboratory features that distinguish HIT from non-HIT thrombocytopenia. RECENT FINDINGS: The frequency of HIT in heparin-exposed critically ill patients is …