Management of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia with fondaparinux in a patient with left ventricular assist device

V Velagic; J Samardzic; Z Baricevic; B Skoric; M Cikes; H Gasparovic; B Biocina; D Milicic

Management of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia with fondaparinux in a patient with left ventricular assist device

Int J Organ Transplant Med. 2014;5(2):83-6.

Authors

V Velagic¹, J Samardzic², Z Baricevic¹, B Skoric², M Cikes², H Gasparovic³, B Biocina³, D Milicic²

Affiliations

¹ Department for Cardiovascular Diseases, University Hospital Centre Zagreb, Croatia.
² Department for Cardiovascular Diseases, University Hospital Centre Zagreb, Croatia ; University of Zagreb School of Medicine, Zagreb, Croatia.
³ University of Zagreb School of Medicine, Zagreb, Croatia ; Department of Cardiac Surgery, University Hospital Centre Zagreb, Croatia.

PMID: 25013684
PMCID: PMC4089335

Abstract

Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia is an immune-mediated serious adverse effect of heparin therapy. It is a relatively frequent complication among patients with mechanical circulatory support. Herein, we present a patient with severe heart failure and sepsis who developed heparin-induced thrombocytopenia shortly after implantation of left ventricular assist device as a bridge to transplantation and who was successfully treated with fondaparinux.

Keywords: Anticoagulation; Heart failure; Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia; Sepsis; Ventricular assist device.