Continuous Heparin Infusion Requirements

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Abstract
A prospective study was undertaken to investigate the relation between hourly heparin sodium requirements and the presence or absence of thromboembolic disease (TED). Twelve patients with verified TED required 1,696±394 units/hr (mean±SD), and nine patients without disease required 1,033±343 units/hr of continuous heparin sodium to attain a target-activated partial thromboplastin time. The requirements in relation to body weight were 25±4 units/kg/hr for the 12 with verified TED and 15±3 units/kg/hr for the nine without disease. These data support the conclusion that a patient's heparin requirements are related to the presence or absence of TED and suggest the diagnostic importance of heparin requirements; large requirements coincide with active TED, and lesser requirements suggest absence of a thromboembolic process. (JAMA241:2717-2720, 1979)

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