Heparin-Loss of Eyesight??

[pagandeva2000, LPN]

Met a patient today who was new to our hospital clinic. I was collecting information on allergies, and this gentleman told me that he has an allergy to Heparin. When I asked him what happened, he told me that each time they used Heparin during dialysis, the next day, he lost his vision. I looked on the computer on Heparin and didn't see anything like this. He told me that he didn't put "two and two together" until he realized what drug they were using; then, he said that his opthamologist confirmed this fact. He said that he had to sign a statement to say that he would take dialysis without the use of heparin. Has anyone heard of this??

[saher1986]

thanks for this information

[Mulan]

So what, he lost it and then got it back again?

[nrsang97, BSN, RN]

I have never heard of this. It dosen't make sense to me. So he loses his vision after dialysis with heparin and then gets his sight back?? Or did he lose his sight all together?

[loricatus]

Sounds like it might be HIT. Found this for you to look at:

http://www.nurseweek.com/news/Features/05-02/Clinical_Heparin.asp

[pagandeva2000, LPN]

I'm sorry I wasn't more specific, guys...he told me that his vision would return, but I didn't ask when, because I was so dumbfounded. Of course, this happened at the end of the day when the doctors were gone from the clinic...but I documented what he said word for word and was basically blown away. Patient is an ex-addict.

[pagandeva2000, LPN]

Sounds like it might be HIT. Found this for you to look at:

http://www.nurseweek.com/news/Features/05-02/Clinical_Heparin.asp

While the article did not specifically mention problems with vision, reading about the neurological symptoms makes better sense to me. Thanks for sharing.