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drug_recall heparinHeparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) is a very serious illness sometimes contracted by patients who are administered the anticoagulant agent heparin. HIT is an adverse reaction to heparin, with potentially fatal results.
The “thrombocytopenia” that is induced by heparin is a dangerously low level of platelets, the “plate-like” bodies in the blood that help stop bleeding and seal off damaged blood vessels. If the level of platelets is too low, the patient may experience severe or uncontrollable bleeding.
Heparin is administered to millions of patients in the U.S. each year in applications such as:
Clots can be very harmful and dangerous. However, heparin-induced thrombocytopenia is like the other end of the spectrum ¾ too much bleeding. HIT is not an immediate reaction to heparin; it usually starts about four to 14 days after the heparin administration.
To make matters even worse, sometimes heparin-induced thrombocytopenia is accompanied by thrombosis (HIT/T). Thrombosis is when a clot does form inside a blood vessel or an organ. It’s a bit confusing as to why an administration of heparin, a medicine designed to prevent clots, would end up resulting in a clot, but the use of anticoagulants is still under study. Many patients with heparin-induced thrombocytopenia also develop thrombosis. Both HIT and HIT/T are life-threatening.
The treatment for HIT and HIT/T is discontinuation of the heparin administration. However, sometimes the condition has already done its damage or become fatal. In some cases, a too-high dose of heparin was the problem; an example is the near-fatal heparin overdose case involving the twin infants of actor Dennis Quaid in late 2007.
If you have developed heparin-induced thrombocytopenia, contact us today to learn more about your legal options. If your condition is a result of contaminated heparin, you may be entitled to compensation for your losses.
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