What is a common side effect of heparin therapy in addition to an increased risk of bleeding?

Thrombocytopenia-key concept/objective: to know the most common side effects of heparin therapy nonhemorrhagic side effects of heparin include the following: (1) urticaria at sites of subcutaneous injection; (2) thrombocytopenia, which occurs in about 1% of patients treated with high-dose heparin and is complicated by arterial or venous thrombosis in about 0.2% of treated patients; (3) osteoporosis, which occurs with prolonged high-dose heparin use; and, rarely, (4) alopecia, adrenal insufficiency, and skin necrosis. the incidence of thrombocytopenia is lower with low-molecular-weight heparin (lmwh) than with heparin. similarly, there is evidence that the risk of osteopenia is lower with lmwh than with heparin.