Although approximately
50% of patients who undergo cardiac surgery will develop HIT
antibodies, only 1% to 2% will develop clinical HIT (thrombocytopenia with or without thrombosis).14 In general, the platelet
count falls by approximately 38% immediately after CPB (and
continues to decline for the first 1-2 postoperative days before
rising in a continuous fashion to a level above the preoperative
Table 2—[Overview of HIT] Incidence of HIT According
to Patient Population and Type of Heparin Exposure
Patient Population (Minimum of 4-d Exposure)
Postoperative patients
Heparin, prophylactic dose3,4,14,25
Heparin, therapeutic dose26
Heparin, flushesa
LMWH, prophylactic or therapeutic dose14,25
Cardiac surgery patients14,27,28,29
Medical
Patients with cancer24,30.31
Heparin, prophylactic or therapeutic dose24
LMWH, prophylactic or therapeutic dose26,30
Intensive care patients32
Heparin, flushes33
Obstetrics patients21,22,34,35
Incidence
of HIT, %
1-5
1-5
0.1-1
0.1-1
1-3
1
0.1-1
0.6
0.4
, 0.1
, 0.1
See Table 1 legend for expansion of abbreviations.