About the program

This activity is structured as a series of three, CME–accredited Web casts that, as an ensemble, constitute a curriculum on understanding how best to prevent and treat heparin-associated thrombocytopenia.

Target audiences

This activity has been designed to meet the educational needs of cardiothoracic surgeons, cardiologists, cardiothoracic anaesthesiologists, hematologists, vascular surgeons, hospitalists, pharmacists and other health care professionals using heparins in the management of hospitalized patients.

Educational objectives

• Discuss the clinical association of heparin treatment and thrombocytopenia
• Summarize data suggesting adverse outcomes associated with the development of thrombocytopenia during heparin administration
• Describe the pathogenesis, presentation, and clinical consequences of HIT
• Stratify heparin-treated patients based on HIT risk
• Discuss the importance of following platelet counts during heparin therapy in patients at highest risk of HIT

• Describe different approaches to the serologic diagnosis of HIT
• Analyze the financial impact of HIT on treating hospitals
• Discuss the role of direct thrombin inhibitors in the management of patients with suspected or diagnosed HIT
• Summarize the dangers of beginning vitamin K antagonist therapy in patients with HIT before thrombocytopenia has sufficiently resolved and safely manage transition of patients with HIT to vitamin K antagonist therapy

CME

This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the Essential Areas and policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education through the joint sponsorship of the University of Cincinnati and The Exeter Group.

The University of Cincinnati is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians. The University of Cincinnati designates this educational activity for a maximum of 2.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should only claim credits commensurate with the extent of their participation.

Release date: March 2011 | Expiration date: March 2012

 

Peer review

This CME Multimedia Activity has been peer-reviewed by The American Journal of Cardiology and The Journal of Critical Care.

Conflict of interest disclosure

The University of Cincinnati is committed to resolving all conflict of interest issues that could arise as a result of prospective faculty members’ significant relationships with drug or device manufacturer(s).  The University of Cincinnati is committed to retaining only those speakers with financial interests that can be resolved and reconciled with the goals and educational integrity of the CME activity.

In accordance with the ACCME Standards for Commercial Support, the speakers for this course have been asked to disclose to participants the existence of any financial interest and/or relationship(s) (e.g., paid speaker, employee, paid consultant on a board and/or committee for a commercial company) that would potentially affect the objectivity of his/her presentation or whose products or services may be mentioned during their presentation. The following disclosures were made:

John R. Bartholomew, MD

Presenter

• No relevant relationships

David L. Becker, MD

Planning committee member

President

The Exeter Group

New York, New York

• No relevant relationships

Amir K. Jaffer, MD

Panel participant

• Advisory board, consultant: Boehringer Ingelheim; Daiichi Sankyo; Ortho–McNeil; Otsuka
• Officer or board member: Anticoagulation Forum; Society for Perioperative Assessment and Quality Improvement

Jerrold H. Levy, MD, FAHA

Presenter, panel participant

• Dr. Levy disclosed an intention to cite findings from the DESIR–ABLE Trial (involved the presenter as steering committee head, and received support from Canyon Pharmaceuticals)
• Advisory board: Canyon Pharmaceuticals

Geno J. Merli, MD, FACP

Presenter

• Consultant, grant/research support: Bayer; Bristol–Myers Squibb; sanofi–aventis
• Speakers’ bureau: sanofi–aventis

E. Magnus Ohman, MD

Chair, planning committee member, presenter

• Consultant: Abiomed; AstraZeneca; CV Therapeutics; Datascope; Gilead; LipoScience; NorthPoint Domain; POZEN; Response Biomedical Corporation; The Medicines Company
• Research grant or contract (personal/institutional): Bristol–Myers Squibb; CV Therapeutics; Daiichi Sankyo; Datascope; Eli Lilly and Company; sanofi–aventis; Schering–Plough; The Medicines Company

Lawrence Rice, MD

Panel participant

• Advisory board: Canyon Pharmaceuticals
• Speakers’ bureau: GlaxoSmithKline

Kay Weigand

Compliance

Program Director – Live Programs

Office of Continuing Medical Education

University of Cincinnati 

Cincinnati, Ohio

• No relationships

 

Disclaimer statement

The opinions expressed during the educational activity are those of the faculty and do not necessarily represent the views of the University of Cincinnati or the views of the Journal of Critical Care. The information is presented for the purpose of advancing the participants’ professional development.

Off-label disclosure statement

Faculty members are required to inform the audience when they are discussing off-label/unapproved uses of devices and drugs. Physicians should consult full prescribing information before using any product mentioned during this educational activity.

Studies cited during the program may have involved the speakers and/or received commercial support.

Some of the agents referenced during the program are investigational and not yet FDA-approved for commercial use in the United States. 

Any use of trade names and identification of manufacturers in these presentations are for the learners’ reference only. No promotion of or bias toward any product or manufacturer should be inferred.

Presentations