Abstract
Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) is a prothrombotic disorder caused by antibodies to complexes of platelet factor 4 (PF4) and heparin. HIT is a potentially life-threatening clinical condition that should be suspected in patients with thrombosis with thrombocytopenia after 4 days of heparin treatment. In case of an established diagnosis of HIT, it is necessary to stop heparin treatment. The ‘‘4 T’s’’ criteria of HIT has been recommended to be used in patients with clinical suspicion of HIT. The diagnosis of HIT requires verification using special laboratory tests to confirm the diagnosis. ELISA and functional blood tests with platelet activity assessment in patient on heparin treatment allow verifying the diagnosis of HIT. Our experience in implementing ELISA for the diagnosis of HIT has shown the high cost of this analysis with a relatively low incidence of HIT in a single hospital. Therefore, it is necessary to create a regional laboratory hub, which is necessary on the scale of a large city. Non-heparin anticoagulants that inhibit thrombin formation, including direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) are cornerstones of treatment of thrombotic complications of HIT. Warfarin should not be used until the platelet count has recovered. A literature review was conducted in the medical resources e-Library, Pubmed, Web of Science, Scopus dedicated to diagnosis, treatment and prevention using keywords