Recurrent acute profound thrombocytopenia related to readministration of eptifibatide

Aamir Adnan Cheema1, Andrew Henry Teklinski, Viqar Maria

  • 1Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Cardiology, St. John Hospital and Medical Center, Detroit, MI 48236, USA. acheema75@yahoo.com

We describe the case of an 86-year-old woman who presented with unstable angina. She was given heparin and eptifibatide, and she underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Shortly thereafter, she developed acute profound thrombocytopenia (6,000 platelets/mm3), which resolved after the discontinuation of heparin and eptifibatide. Four months later, she presented again with unstable angina and underwent PCI. Soon after the procedure, she again developed acute profound thrombocytopenia (2,000 platelets/mm3). To our knowledge, acute profound thrombocytopenia due to eptifibatide treatment in the same patient at two different times has not been reported before.

Related Concept Videos

Venous Thrombosis III: Interprofessional Care01:29

Venous Thrombosis III: Interprofessional Care

Venous thrombosis requires effective prevention and treatment strategies to improve patient outcomes and reduce potential complications.Prevention StrategiesHealthcare providers must prioritize preventing venous thromboembolism (VTE) for all adult patients upon admission. Interventions depend on bleeding and thrombosis risk, medical history, current medications, diagnoses, planned procedures, and patient preferences. Patients on bed rest should change positions every two hours and, if not...
Pulmonary Embolism II: Diagnostic Studies and Interprofessional Care01:29

Pulmonary Embolism II: Diagnostic Studies and Interprofessional Care

Diagnosing Pulmonary EmbolismDiagnosing pulmonary embolism (PE) involves clinical assessment and advanced imaging tests. The preferred diagnostic tool is the spiral (helical) CT scan or CT angiography (CTA), which uses intravenous contrast media to visualize the pulmonary vasculature and identify emboli.A ventilation-perfusion (V/Q) scan is an alternative for patients unable to receive contrast media. This scan includes both perfusion and ventilation scanning. Perfusion scanning involves...