Cangrelor As Treatment for Cardiac Surgery Associated With Heparin Induced Thrombocytopenia

Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) is a rare but serious immune complication of heparin exposure that paradoxically increases the risk of thrombosis. In patients undergoing cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB), heparin is essential to prevent circuit clotting, yet contraindicated in HIT. Available alternatives carry significant limitations. Cangrelor, an intravenous reversible P2Y12 inhibitor, has shown promise in case reports and small series in this context, but no multicenter study exists. CATCH-IT is a multicenter retrospective observational study conducted across 11 French cardiac surgery centers, aiming to describe the safety and efficacy of cangrelor combined with heparin during CPB in confirmed HIT patients, by estimating the incidence of major bleeding and thrombotic events within 7 days after surgery.