The Heparin-Induced Thrombocytopenia and Thrombosis Syndrome

The benefits of using heparmn for the prophylaxis and treatment of thrombotic and embolic complications of sur-gery are well known, and many consider heparin to be the drug of choice for anticoagulant therapy in a patient undergoing total hip arthroplasty or other procedures. The common complications related to the use of heparin have been bleeding, allergic reaction, and osteoporosis2-5. A less common complication, thrombocytopenia and the life-threatening thrombosis and thromboembolism that may be associated with this thrombocytopenia, is not generally rec-ognized. The heparmn-induced thrombocytopenia and throm-bosis syndrome has received little attention in the orthopaedic literature. The following report describes the case of a patient who had the syndrome. Case Repor