Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia: comparison between response to fondaparinux and lepirudin.

Background: Patients with heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) require anticoagulation with alternative immediate acting anticoagulants such as lepirudin. Lepirudin may generate antibodies that increase risk of bleeding. Fondaparinux, on the other hand, is structurally too short to induce antibody formation, and therefore, it could be a useful agent for the treatment of HIT.