Argatroban Anticoagulation in Patients With Heparin-Induced Thrombocytopenia

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Abstract
HEPARIN-INDUCED thrombocytopenia (HIT) is a potentially catastrophic, generalized thrombotic disorder that is triggered by heparin therapy.1-4 During the past decade, there has been an explosion in our understanding of the clinical and pathophysiologic features of HIT. This information, in turn, has lead to the introduction of novel treatments. Clinical studies1-4 in patients with HIT have shown that most patients will have a decrease in their platelet count, which typically becomes less than 100 to 150 × 109/L. Approximately half to two thirds of all patients with HIT will have a simultaneous or subsequent thromboembolic event. It is the thromboembolic events that account for the overall mortality of 20% to 30% reported in patients with HIT.1-4