Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) is an immune complication of heparin therapy caused by antibodies to complexes of platelet factor 4 (PF4) and heparin. Patients with HIT present with a decline in platelet count following heparin exposure and may or may not have thrombosis or hemorrhage. About as high as one-half of the cases of HIT are complicated by venous and/or arterial thrombosis which may be limb- or life-threatening [1]. Morbidity in these patients is further increased by bleeding (∼x223C40%) associated with the use of potent non-heparin anticoagulants [2].
