Heparin 'flush' induced thrombocytopenia triggered by total hip replacement: a case report

Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) typically responds to heparin termination. Some types of HIT can persist after heparin discontinuation.

A 95-year-old woman was referred to the cardiology from orthopaedics because of acute limb ischaemia (ALI) 1 day after surgery of a femoral neck fracture. Despite thrombectomy, ALI relapsed the next day. She had been treated with intravenous antibiotics with a diagnosis of aspiration pneumonia for 1 week until 3 days before surgery, together with heparin flush twice a day. Of note, no intra-/post-operative heparin was administered, no cell salvage device, central venous, nor arterial catheters were used before development of ALI. The patient and her family refused reattempting invasive therapies; consequently, the patient continued to worsen and died on post-operative day 3. Diagnosis of autoimmune HIT, which was prompted by surgery without re-exposure to heparin, was confirmed posthumously.

This case emphasizes the significance of suspecting autoimmune HIT in any patient presenting with thrombosis, even if the heparin exposure dates back more than a few days or even without heparin exposure.