Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Case Reports
. 2015 Feb;22(1):140-5.
doi: 10.1007/s12028-014-0052-2.

Plasmapheresis may be an option in urgent management of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia in the setting of acute intracerebral hemorrhage

Emitseilu Iluonakhamhe  1 , Oluchukwu Ibekwe, Sophie Samuel, Asma Zakaria
Affiliations
Case Reports

Plasmapheresis may be an option in urgent management of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia in the setting of acute intracerebral hemorrhage

Emitseilu Iluonakhamhe et al. Neurocrit Care. 2015 Feb.

Abstract

Background: We report a case of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) that was complicated by acute intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) and bilateral adrenal hemorrhage. In the setting of worsening thrombocytopenia, the risk of expansion of ICH and additional thrombotic events is concerning; hence, we employed plasmapheresis to reduce thrombotic risk.

Methods: We followed serial daily heparin antibody enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) optical density measurements as well as heparin-induced platelet aggregation (HIPA) assays on both pre- and post-pheresis samples in order to objectively determine when thrombotic risk was sufficiently decreased.

Results: After four cycles of plasmapheresis, both heparin antibody ELISA and HIPA assays became negative.

Conclusion: This case helps illustrate the utility of plasmapheresis in management of HIT when anticoagulation is contraindicated.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Crit Care Clin. 2011 Oct;27(4):805-23, v - PubMed
    1. J Clin Apher. 2011;26(4):219-24 - PubMed
    1. Ann Thorac Surg. 2005 Apr;79(4):1388-90 - PubMed
    1. Korean J Lab Med. 2011 Jan;31(1):1-8 - PubMed
    1. Surg Clin North Am. 2012 Dec;92(6):1559-72 - PubMed

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources