Impact of education and electronic decision support tool on the practice of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia testing: An experience of a teaching community hospital

Heparin Induced Thrombocytopenia (HIT) is a potentially life-threatening disorder caused by antibodies directed against complex of heparin and platelets factor-4 (PF-4) [1]. HIT occurs in 1 in 5000 hospitalized patients and 1 –3% of patients after cardiac surgery, with the incidence being highest with the use of unfractionated heparin [2]. Hospitalized patients can develop thrombocytopenia due to a variety of causes and determining HIT as the cause of thrombocytopenia is crucial because of potential of thrombotic compl ications which affects 50% of the patients [2].
Source: Thrombosis Research - Category: Hematology Authors: Tags: Letter to the Editors-In-Chief Source Type: research