Allergic Urticaria (Hives) during Hemodialysis

Main Article Content

Meyer Lifschitz
Nechama Lifschitz

Abstract

This case report concerns a patient on hemodialysis who developed itching and urticaria (hives) on his skin after several months of starting hemodialysis. There had been no new foods ingested or medicines initiated in the recent past. Since the only medicine given during his hemodialysis treatments was heparin, and since allergic reactions to heparin are known, a presumed diagnosis of heparin allergy was made. His subsequent hemodialysis treatments used clexane, in place of heparin as an anticoagulant, and no subsequent allergic reactions developed.

Article Details

Lifschitz, M., & Lifschitz, N. (2026). Allergic Urticaria (Hives) during Hemodialysis. Archives of Case Reports, 58–59. https://doi.org/10.29328/journal.acr.1001189
Case Reports

Copyright (c) 2026 Lifschitz M, et al.

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Smith RE, Townsend GE, Berry BR, Bowen T. Enoxaparin for unstable angina and ancrod for cardiac surgery following heparin allergy. Annals of Pharmocotherapy 1996; 30: 476-480. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1177/106002809603000508

Butani L and Calogiuri G. Hypersensitivity reactions in patients receiving hemodialysis. Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology 2017; 118: 680-684. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anai.2017.04.006

Blossom DB, Kallen AJ, Patel PR, Elward A, Robinson L, Gao G, et al. Outbreak of Adverse Reactions Associated with Contaminated Heparin NEJM 2008; 359: 2674-2684. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1056/nejmoa0806450

Shavit L, Bar-Lev M, Lifschitz M, Fink D, Rodenski B, Slotki I. Incidence and clinical significance of heparin induced antibodies in chronic hemodialysis patients and cardiac surgery patients. ASAIO 34(12): 1172-1178, 2011. Available from: https://doi.org/10.5301/ijao.5000020

Grassengger A, Fritsch P Reider N. Delayed-Type hypersensitivity and cross-reactivity to Heparins and Danaparoid: A Prospective Study. Dermatologic Surgery 2001; 27: 47-52. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11231243/