side effects
Last reviewed 01/2018
These include:
- haemorrhage, reversed by protamine sulphate
- thrombocytopaenia - this is due to a direct effect of heparin on platelets, which generally improves with cessation of heparin. There also appears to be an immune mechanism that occurs 6-12 days after commencing heparin therapy. This latter cause of thrombocytopaenia via heparin-associated immune mediated aggregation of platelets may predispose to formation of platelet thrombus and disseminated intravascular coagulation, in addition to thrombocytopaenia.
- other side effects include alopecia and osteoporosis
disseminated intravascular coagulation