HEPARIN INDUCED THROMBOCYTOPENIA: A REVIEW

Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) is a rare but serious complication of heparin use. It is a prothrombotic, antibody-mediated condition in which thrombocytopenia associates thrombosis in a clinical picture that is often challenging for the clinician because of the difficulties of diagnosis and of therapy as well. In daily practice, HIT diagnosis relies mostly on clinical aspects and immunologic assays as the functional tests are not routinely performed, which along with the clinician's fear not to miss the diagnosis have made this condition to be overestimated nowadays. The aim of this article is to review the main diagnosis and management aspects of this dangerous complication in the light of the increasing use of heparin in a wider variety of clinical settings.