Heparin-Induced Thrombocytopenia (HIT) in Postoperative Cardiac Surgery: Case Report

Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) is a life- and limb-threatening complication of heparin exposure. Unfractionated heparin (UFH) and low molecular weight heparins (LMWHs) are drugs that are widely used in patients undergoing cardiac surgery and that have made it possible to avoid and treat countless venous and arterial thrombotic problems. However, its use is also associated with a paradoxical reaction that leads to a potentially very serious prothrombotic state, which annually causes numerous amputations or fatal outcomes. Although the number of amputations per HIT is not known, recent studies describe an incidence of approximately 3-4%. Therefore, below, we present a woman undergoing cardiac surgery that begins in the post-surgical period with thrombocytopenia associated with arterial thrombosis, complicated by limb amputation due to HIT.