Table 1

Characteristics of the study population










Time to onset, days
Platelet counts, 109/L
aPTT ratios


















Patient
 Gender
 Age, years
 SAPS II
 SOFA score
 Type of surgery
 Sepsis
 Shock
 MV
 ICU
 CVVH
 UFH
 ICU length of stay, days
 D0
 DPF4
 Four T-score
 Mean
 ≥ 1.2, %
 CVVH duration, hours
 PF4, OD
 Death
PF4+
 1
 M
 54
 34
 12
 Cardiac
 No
 Yes
 Yes
 8
 6
 8
 22
 42
 10
 5
 1.2
 50
 14
 1.18
 No

2
 M
 59
 29
 6
 Cardiac
 No
 No
 No
 6
 6
 9
 13
 76
 51
 7
 1.2
 100
 2
 2.26
 No

3
 M
 63
 50
 13
 Cardiac
 Yes
 Yes
 Yes
 9
 8
 9
 28
 101
 20
 7
 1.3
 33
 4
 2.68
 No

4
 F
 49
 44
 11
 Cardiac
 No
 Yes
 Yes
 7
 7
 8
 8
 251
 95
 7
 1.2
 33
 6
 1.89
 Yes

5
 M
 62
 86
 16
 Trauma
 Yes
 Yes
 Yes
 15
 13
 14
 22
 163
 66
 5
 2.4
 100
 5
 1.18
 Yes

6
 M
 55
 52
 12
 Cardiac
 No
 Yes
 Yes
 10
 8
 11
 26
 144
 200
 4
 1.9
 100
 2
 2.00
 No

7
 M
 57
 42
 14
 Cardiac
 Yes
 Yes
 Yes
 16
 15
 20
 43
 78
 46
 5
 2.6
 100
 8
 2.11
 No
Total (n = 7)
6 M (86%)
 57 (55–62)
 44a (36–51)
 12.5 (12–14)
 6 cardiac (86%)
 3 (43%)
 6 (86%)
 6 (86%)
 9 (8–15)
 8 (6–13)
 9 (9–14)
 22 (18–28)
 101 (77–158)
 51 (26–88)
 5 (5–7)
 1.3 (1.2–2.4)
 100 (50–100)
 5a (2.5–7.5)
 2.00a (1.36–2.22)
 2 (40%)
PF4-
 8
 F
 78
 64
 11
 Visceral
 Yes
 Yes
 Yes
 4
 2
 5
 4
 109
 48
 6
 3.1
 100
 19
 0.11
 Yes

9
 M
 51
 51
 8
 Visceral
 Yes
 Yes
 Yes
 5
 5
 5
 16
 413
 234
 6
 1.6
 75
 4
 0.19
 No

10
 M
 58
 65
 19
 Cardiac
 Yes
 Yes
 Yes
 3
 2
 10
 26
 214
 42
 6
 1.2
 67
 10
 0.40
 No

11
 M
 77
 68
 15
 Cardiac
 Yes
 Yes
 Yes
 14
 14
 24
 47
 176
 52
 5
 1.8
 100
 12
 0.13
 Yes

12
 M
 78
 56
 16
 Cardiac
 No
 Yes
 Yes
 4
 4
 5
 15
 100
 22
 5
 1.7
 100
 12
 0.26
 Yes

13
 M
 83
 89
 18
 Cardiac
 Yes
 Yes
 Yes
 4
 3
 5
 28
 86
 33
 6
 1.8
 100
 9
 0.17
 Yes

14
 M
 78
 59
 11
 Cardiac
 Yes
 Yes
 Yes
 5
 2
 4
 14
 141
 31
 6
 1.8
 100
 10
 0.07
 Yes

15
 M
 37
 35
 14
 Trauma
 Yes
 Yes
 Yes
 9
 7
 7
 25
 146
 63
 4
 1.1
 25
 7
 0.09
 No

16
 F
 73
 62
 15
 Cardiac
 Yes
 Yes
 Yes
 36
 36
 39
 50
 94
 48
 5
 3.9
 100
 24
 0.29
 Yes

17
 M
 79
 59
 10
 Visceral
 Yes
 Yes
 Yes
 9
 9
 9
 12
 169
 86
 6
 1.4
 100
 31
 0.18
 Yes

18
 M
 60
 49
 10
 Cardiac
 No
 No
 Yes
 5
 3
 5
 14
 60
 39
 5
 1.3
 100
 24
 0.09
 No

19
 M
 48
 48
 8
 Visceral
 Yes
 Yes
 Yes
 6
 2
 9
 27
 258
 167
 6
 1.8
 100
 24
 0.08
 Yes

20
 F
 75
 54
 11
 Visceral
 Yes
 Yes
 Yes
 6
 4
 7
 12
 86
 21
 6
 1.9
 100
 4
 0.34
 Yes

21
 M
 60
 39
 13
 Cardiac
 No
 Yes
 Yes
 4
 3
 5
 58
 61
 47
 6
 1.5
 100
 24
 0.19
 No

22
 M
 75
 56
 13
 Cardiac
 Yes
 Yes
 Yes
 19
 17
 20
 37
 105
 45
 5
 1.2
 25
 8
 0.83
 Yes

23
 M
 78
 57
 13
 Cardiac
 Yes
 Yes
 Yes
 5
 4
 6
 61
 67
 44
 6
 1.0
 0
 13
 0.02
 No

24
 M
 64
 73
 14
 Visceral
 No
 Yes
 Yes
 16
 16
 16
 26
 206
 95
 6
 1.4
 100
 16
 0.24
 No

25
 M
 38
 71
 20
 Vascular
 Yes
 Yes
 Yes
 4
 4
 4
 33
 210
 49
 6
 1.7
 100
 18
 0.20
 No

26
 M
 69
 66
 13
 Cardiac
 Yes
 Yes
 Yes
 5
 4
 5
 11
 140
 48
 6
 1.1
 25
 6
 0.51
 Yes

27
 F
 37
 52
 13
 Cardiac
 Yes
 Yes
 Yes
 6
 5
 9
 27
 57
 234
 6
 1.4
 100
 7
 0.58
 No

28
 M
 75
 44
 10
 Visceral
 Yes
 Yes
 Yes
 22
 20
 24
 53
 203
 42
 5
 1.4
 86
 24
 0.29
 Yes
Total (n = 21)
17 M(81%)
 73 (56–78)
 57 (50–65)
 13 (10–15)
 12 cardiac (57%)
 17 (81%)
 20 (95%)
 21 (100%)
 5 (4–9)
 4 (3–10)
 7 (5–12)
 26 (14–39)
 140 (86–204)
 48 (41–69)
 6 (5–6)
 1.5 (1.3–1.8)
 100 (73–100)
 12 (7.5–24)
 0.20 (0.10–0.32)
 12 (57%)

Patients were classified into two groups (PF4+ and PF4-) according to anti-PF4/heparin antibody concentration (optical density [OD] > 1 IU or not). PF4+ patients 1 to 4 also had a positive functional test for heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (platelet-rich plasma aggregation test). No differences between these four patients and the remaining three patients with a negative functional test were observed. The types of surgery for the two trauma patients were orthopedic and visceral for patient 5 and visceral surgery only for patient 15. Shock was defined as the need for vasopressor support. Time to onset is the time between intensive care unit (ICU) admission or continuous veno-venous hemofiltration (CVVH) or unfractionated heparin (UFH) and the day of anti-PF4/heparin antibody assay. The Four T-score was calculated by considering that hemofiltration-filter clotting did constitute a 'recurrent thrombosis' (= 1 point) [9]. Results are expressed as median (first quartile to third quartile) or number. aP < 0.05. M, male; F, female; aPTT, activated partial thromboplastin time (observed during the continuous veno-venous hemofiltration session with hemofiltration-filter clotting); D0, day of admission; DPF4, day of anti-PF4/heparin antibody assay; MV, mechanical ventilation; PF4-, anti-PF4/heparin antibody-negative; PF4+, anti-PF4/heparin antibody-positive; SAPS II, Simplified Acute Physiologic Score [19]; SOFA, Sepsis-related Organ Failure Assessment [20].

Lasocki et al. Critical Care 2008 12:R84   doi:10.1186/cc6937