RESEARCH ARTICLE Safety and economic cons ly

In heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) immuno-globulin G is formed against multimolecular complexes of platelet factor 4 (PF4) and polyanion heparin, which poten-tially leads to thromboembolic life and limb threatening complications [1,2]. Clinical diagnosis is based on the 4 T score (Thrombocytopenia, Timing, Thrombosis, absence of other explanations) [3,4]. Typically, clinical suspicion of HIT is made by a platelet count drop in the 5–10 days following heparin administration. However, it should be kept in mind that in almost 60 % of patients diagnosed with HIT, thrombosis occurs prior to or on the day of significant platelet decrease [5]. Differential diagnoses include EDTA-induced pseudothrombocytopenia, non-immune heparin-associated thrombocytopenia, throm-botic-thrombocytopenic purpura, other drug-induced thrombocytopenias, disseminated intravascular coagulation, acute thrombosis-associated thrombocytopenia and sepsis [6]. Guideline recommendations consist of discontinuation * Correspondence