Summary
Pregnant patients with acute venous thrombosis or a history of thrombosis may need
alternative anticoagulation, when heparin intolerance occurs. Only limited data on
the use of the heparinoid danaparoid are available in literature.We reviewed the use
of danaparoid in 51 pregnancies of 49 patients identified in literature between 1981
and 2004.All patients had developed heparin intolerance (32 due to heparin-induced
thrombocytopenia, 19 mainly due to heparin-induced skin rashes) and had a current
and/or past history of thromboembolic complications.The initial danaparoid dose regimens
ranged from 1000 to 7500 U/day administered s.c.or i.v..The median duration of danaparoid
use was 10 weeks. Danaparoid was used until delivery of a healthy infant in 37 pregnancies.
In the remaining 14 pregnancies it was stopped earlier, because anticoagulant treatment
was no longer required (3/14) or an adverse event led to a treatment discontinuation
(11/14). Four maternal bleeding events were recorded during pregnancy, delivery or
postpartum, two of them were fatal due to placental problems. Three fetal deaths were
recorded, all associated with maternal complications antedating danaparoid use. Danaparoid
cross-reactivity was suspected in 4 HIT patients and 5 non-HIT patients with skin
reactions and was confirmed serologically in one of the two HIT patients tested. In
none of five fetal cord blood- and three maternal breast milksamples anti-Xa activity
transfer was observed.In conclusion danaparoid can be used as an alternative antithrombotic
agent in pregnant women with high thrombotic risk and intolerance to heparins.
Keywords
Pregnancy - heparin-induced thrombocytopenia - heparin-induced - skin rash - danaparoid
- heparin-intolerance