Anaphylaxis following unfractionated heparin administration: How safe is this drug in the treatment of thromboembolism?

Abstract

Heparin, a naturally occurring polysaccharide belonging to the glycosaminoglycans (GAG) family, is ubiquitously found in mast cells. Unfractionated heparin is the least processed form of natural GAG, purified from animal tissue. In a 67-year-old female patient diagnosed with hypertension and asthma, who suffered a femoral fracture due to a fall, intravenous heparin sodium was administered for thromboembolic treatment in the postoperative period following closed reduction. Subsequently, respiratory distress, loss of consciousness, and cardiac arrest occured following profound hypotension. The patient, whose clinical findings were evaluated as anaphylaxis, was successfully resuscitated with prompt intervention. Despite immune-mediated reactions and Heparin-Induced Thrombocytopenia (HIT) being commonly encountered side effects in clinical practice, it is crucial for all healthcare professionals to recognize that widely used anticoagulant agents such as heparin sodium can lead to fatal complications.