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Cohort studyPediatric blood & cancer · 2026

Intermittent Subcutaneous Unfractionated Heparin for Venous Thromboembolism Prophylaxis in Pediatric Intensive Care Unit Patients.

Autumn M Spyhalsky, Kelli Jo Welter, Mackenzie N DeVine … Michele Loi

Pulmonology & Critical CareCohort study

In critically ill children given subcutaneous heparin, bleeding was more common than blood clots

Intermittent Subcutaneous Unfractionated Heparin for Venous Thromboembolism Prophylaxis in Pediatric Intensive Care Unit Patients.

Autumn M Spyhalsky et al. · Pediatric blood & cancer · 2026

Background

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a recognized complication in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) that has become more common over the past decade.

Methods

This retrospective cohort study included PICU patients (≤ 18 years) at a single quaternary pediatric hospital (July 2014-June 2024) who received sUFH for VTE prophylaxis for ≥ 24 h.

n = 16 patients

Results

24% of children on heparin to prevent clots had bleeding events

24%

Bleeding

11%

VTE

More results

Sixty-six patients met the inclusion criteria.

The median dose administered was 89.3 units/kg (IQR, 73.5-109.6), with dosing intervals evenly divided between every 8 and 12 h.

“

Conclusion · 1 of 2

In this cohort, bleeding events were more common than thrombotic events and occurred in 24% of patients, while VTE developed in 11%.

Conclusion · 2 of 2

These findings highlight the need for more standardized dosing strategies and further prospective evaluation to better define the safety and effectiveness of sUFH for VTE prophylaxis in the PICU.

Post

Intermittent Subcutaneous Unfractionated Heparin for Venous Thromboembolism Prophylaxis in Pediatric Intensive Care Unit Patients.

In critically ill children given subcutaneous heparin, bleeding was more common than blood clots

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