Can heparin be prothrombotic?
Unfractionated heparin can theoretically make platelets more reactive to activation by other platelet function agonists such as adenosine diphosphate. Heparin can bind to Glycoprotein IIb/IIIa receptor on the platelet resulting in a prothrombotic effect. For these reasons, it may not be ideal to bridge with heparin while interrupting anti-platelet agents prior to surgery, unless there are other reasons for giving heparin.