Drug-induced immune thrombocytopenia.

[heparin-induced thrombocytopenia]

Thrombocytopenia is commonly seen in laboratory findings , especially in critically ill patients . Although the incidence is rare , drug-induced immune thrombocytopenia (DITP ) is a serious complication that is often overlooked as a cause of thrombocytopenia . Over the last century , extensive research and data collection have been done in an attempt to better characterize DITP . Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia is the most common DITP and has distinct pathogenesis , diagnosis , and treatment options . However , other offending medications are less well known and have triggered many questions and constant search for answers . This review will discuss both drug-induced immune-mediated and nonimmune-mediated thrombocytopenias , with a focus on immune-mediated processes . Thrombocytopenia caused by chemotherapy will not be discussed in this article .