Fondaparinux-Associated Heparin-Induced Thrombocytopenia

Abstract

Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) is an immune-mediated clinical syndrome of thrombocytopenia and thrombosis occurring after exposure to heparin. HIT most commonly occurs after exposure to unfractionated heparin but has also been reported with low-molecular-weight heparin. To date, there have been very few reports of HIT with the pentasaccharide fondaparinux, and some have proposed fondaparinux as a treatment for HIT. This article presents two cases of HIT associated with fondaparinux use.