Review Article 59 GTH 2021 State of the Art—Cardiac Surgery: The Perioperative Management of Heparin-Induced Thrombocytopenia in Cardiac Surgery Laura Ranta1 Emmanuelle Scala1 1 Department of Anesthesiology, Cardiothoracic and Vascular Address for correspondence Emmanuelle Scala, MD, Centre Anesthesia, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), Lausanne, Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois, Rue du Bugnon 46, BH 05/300, 1011 Switzerland Lausanne, Suisse, Switzerland (e-mail:
[email protected]). Hämostaseologie 2021;41:59–62. Abstract Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) is a severe, immune-mediated, adverse drug Keywords reaction that paradoxically induces a prothrombotic state. Particularly in the setting of ► Heparin-induced cardiac surgery, where full anticoagulation is required during cardiopulmonary bypass, thrombocytopenia the management of HIT can be highly challenging, and requires a multidisciplinary ► cardiac surgery approach. In this short review, the different perioperative strategies to run cardiopul- ► state of the art monary bypass will be summarized. Introduction genicity of the antibodies and is diagnostic for HIT. The administration of heparin to a patient with circulating Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) is a severe, im- pathogenic HITabs puts the patient at immediate risk of mune-mediated, adverse drug reaction that paradoxically severe thrombotic complications. induces a prothrombotic state.1,2 Particularly in the setting The time course of HIT can be divided into four distinct of cardiac surgery, where full anticoagulation is required phases.6 Acute HIT is characterized by thrombocytopenia during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB), the management of and/or thrombosis, the presence of HITabs, and confirma- HIT can be highly challenging, and requires a multidisciplin- tion of their platelet activating capacity by a functional ary approach.