Limitations of conventional treatment options for heparin-induced thrombocytopenia.

Thrombosis is a common and potentially serious complication of immune-mediated heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT). Discontinuation of heparin is a simple and important maneuver in patients with suspected HIT. Unfortunately, thrombosis often occurs even in those patients in whom heparin was discontinued because of thrombocytopenia alone ("isolated" HIT). It therefore is reasonable to consider prophylactic anticoagulation with an alternate …