AudHIT
A UK-wide audit of the diagnosis and management of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia
This project aims to audit the diagnosis and management of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) in a UK clinical setting against current British guidelines.
In December 2023, the British Society for Haematology (BSH) published an updated guideline, with recommendations on the diagnosis and management of HIT. In summary, clinicians are encouraged to calculate the pre-test probability score (PTPS) using the 4Ts scoring system in cases of suspected HIT, pre-emptively treat at-risk patients, and investigate appropriately using a range of assays.
In this multi-centre audit, we will retrospectively study the diagnosis and management of all patients who were tested for HIT between 1st January 2024 and 31st December 2024. Data collection will be conducted by members of HaemSTAR, a UK-wide network of haematology registrars and other medical colleagues in interested in medical haematology.
How will this work?
Anonymised data from hospital notes by clinical staff and will be entered into a secure, online, REDCap database hosted at the University of Birmingham.
We will include any patient who has been tested for anti-PF4 antibodies and/or anti-PF4 antibody-mediated platelet activation (i.e. HIT testing) in 2024.
We suggest that patients are identified through searching the hospital pathology system for patients who have had these tests - please discuss with your lab seniors to determine search terms.
What to do next
Find a team. This will consist of a supervising consultant (often a haematologist but it does not have to be), and up to 10 team members. This can include (but is not limited to) resident doctors, medical students, physician assistants, nurses, pharmacists, and biomedical scientists.
Formally register your site by completing the sign-up form. You will need a supervising consultant - often this will be a consultant haematologist, but intensivists, anaesthetists, or surgeons may also be appropriate. You can add up to 100.
Register the audit with your hospital’s audit department. Every hospital is different but we have produced a local audit registration guide including most if not all the information you will need to copy and paste into your local system. This guide also includes frequently asked questions. If there are any specific questions from the audit department that you are unable to answer, please forward queries to Richard.Buka@nhs.net
Let us know when you have audit department approval and we will create your REDCap accounts.
Ask for a list of patients from the laboratory IT team.
Wait for the data collection window which will be open for 6 weeks from mid-October 2025
Contact: Richard.Buka@nhs.net