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Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia is rare in pregnancy
M B Fausett1, M Vogtlander, R M Lee
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Utah Health Sciences Center, Salt Lake City, UT, USA. merlin.fausett@keesler.af.mil
Objective:
The indications for heparin use during pregnancy are expanding; however, heparin is associated with serious adverse effects including heparin-induced thrombocytopenia. Low-molecular-weight heparin is expensive but is associated with less frequent occurrences of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia in the nonpregnant population. However, the incidence of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia during pregnancy is unknown. The purpose of this study was to compare the incidence of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia in pregnant and nonpregnant women.
Study Design:
This is a retrospective cohort comparison. Pregnant and nonpregnant women were identified by means of diagnosis related group and Current Procedural Terminology code searches at three medical centers in Utah; the incidence of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia in the two groups was compared.
Results:
There were 10 (4%) cases of thrombocytopenia among 244 heparin-treated pregnant patients and 26 (11%) cases among the 244 nonpregnant controls. There were no cases of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia in the pregnant group, but there were 10 (4%) cases in the control group (P =.0014).
Conclusion:
Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia is extremely rare in pregnant women.