we report the cases of seven patients in whom anticoagulant therapy was begun with ancrod instead of heparin for one or more of the following reasons : ( 1 ) failure to achieve systemic anticoagulation in response to heparin ( e.g. , antithrombin iii deficiency ) , ( 2 ) heparin-associated complications ( e.g. , thrombocytopenia , thrombosis , or both ) , and ( 3 ) combined anticoagulation and improved blood rheology considered to be potentially more beneficial than anticoagulation alone ( e.g. , massive thrombosis ) .
C0019134
heparin
C0040034
thrombocytopenia