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A Modified 4Ts Score for Heparin-Induced Thrombocytopenia in the Mechanical Circulatory Support Population. Journal of cardiothoracic and vascular anesthesia Pong, T., Cyr, K., Aparicio-Valenzuela, J., Carlton, C., Lee, A. M. 2023

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To identify risk factors and develop a pretest scoring system to differentiate patients with heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) in the mechanical circulatory support (MCS) population. The authors present a modified "4TMCS" scoring system, which considers the "type of mechanical circulatory support" that may help identify patients at risk for developing postoperative HIT.DESIGN: A retrospective cohort study. Patients who underwent cardiac surgery were categorized into 3 groups: (1) normal platelet count, (2) thrombocytopenia with a negative HIT test, and (3) thrombocytopenia with a positive HIT test. A comparison of diagnostic accuracy between the 4Ts and 4TMCS probability scores was performed.SETTING: At a single adult tertiary-care center.PARTICIPANTS: A total of 5,314 patients who underwent cardiac surgery between May 1, 2008 and December 31, 2016.INTERVENTIONS: None.MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: In total, 125 out of 5,314 patients (2.4%) were diagnosed with HIT, of whom 75 out of 5,314 (1.4%) had clinical evidence of thrombosis. Overall, in-hospital mortality was 25.6%, 11.7%, and 1.5% in the HIT(+), HIT(-), and control groups, respectively (p < 0.001). Mechanical circulatory support was associated with a significantly increased risk for HIT, with an incidence of 5.9% in patients receiving MCS versus 1.9% in those without (p < 0.001). Area under the receiver operator curve (AUC) analysis demonstrated improved diagnostic accuracy of the 4TMCS score compared with the 4Ts (AUC=0.83 v 0.77, p < 0.044). The 4TMCS score had higher sensitivity than the 4Ts, using the guideline-recommended score cutoff of =4 (95.2% v 85.7%).CONCLUSION: Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia is associated with worse outcomes and increased morbidity and mortality in the MCS population. Awareness of patient risk factors and the application of a modified 4TMCS probability score may allow for more accurate screening and treatment of HIT in the MCS population.

View details for DOI 10.1053/j.jvca.2023.06.033

View details for PubMedID 37407329