Antithrombotic Drugs for the Treatment of Heparin-Induced Thrombocytopenia

Heparin remains the anticoagulant of choice in the therapy of thromboembolic events. Heparin is effective in the prevention and treatment of venous thromboembolism (VTE), as a surgical anticoagulant, and in interventional cardiology (1 ). Heparin is also used in the treatment of unstable angina and acute myocardial infarction (AMI), and in some patients with disseminated intravascular coagulation. Although the clinical effects of heparin are meritorious, side effects do occur. Bleeding is the primary undesirable effect of heparin. Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT), the most frequent of drug-induced allergies, necessitates the use of alternative agents to treat or prevent thrombus formation.