CHAPTER 44 The Diagnosis and Management of Heparin-Induced Thrombocytopenia

Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) can be defined as any clinical event (or events) best explained by platelet-activating antiplatelet factor 4 (PF4)/heparin antibodies (HIT antibodies) in a patient who is receiving, or who has recently received, heparin. A clinical scoring system, the “4 T's,” helps predict which patients have HIT, based upon the assessment of thrombocytopenia, timing, thrombosis, and the absence of other explanation(s). …