HYPERSENSITIVITY REACTIONS TO ANTICOAGULANTS

Abstract

Anticoagulants are a broad class of drugs that belong to different pharmacological groups, have differentmechanisms of action, and can cause different adverse immune reactions. Although anticoagulants rarely cause allergic reactions, they can be severe and life–threatening. The most common are delayed–type hypersensitivity reactions, less commonly type II (heparin–induced thrombocytopenia) and immediate hypersensitivity reactions. The diagnosis of adverse immune reactions to anticoagulants is based on specific clinical signs, allergic skin tests and challenge tests.