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Ann Thorac Surg 2005;80:66-71
© 2005 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons
a Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
b Department of Anesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine, Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
Accepted for publication February 15, 2005.
* Address reprint requests to Dr Raivio, Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Helsinki University Hospital, Haartmaninkatu 4, FIN-00029 HUS, Helsinki, Finland (Email: peter.raivio{at}hus.fi).
| Abstract |
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METHODS: We analyzed retrospectively all consecutive cardiac surgical patients who have received rFVIIa in the Helsinki University Hospital in order to evaluate the safety and efficacy of rFVIIa after cardiac surgery in our institution. Altogether, 16 patients were identified from operating room and intensive care unit (ICU) databases. Patient records and operating room and ICU databases were reviewed.
RESULTS: In this series of high risk patients hospital mortality was high (25%). A definite hemostatic effect was seen after rFVIIa administration in all but three patients (82%). Mean amount of bleeding and amount of platelet and fresh frozen plasma transfusions decreased significantly after rFVIIa administration. Four patients had serious postoperative thromboembolic complications.
CONCLUSIONS: Recombinant factor VIIa was effective in restoring hemostasis, but thromboembolic complications occurred after rFVIIa use. They may be related to the underlying pathologies and surgery performed. It is possible, however, that rFVIIa treatment contributed to their occurrence.
| Introduction |
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However, successful treatment of bleeding in patients with other coagulopathies, such as congenital and acquired FVII deficiency, von Willebrand's disease, thrombocytopenia, and the platelet function defects Glanzmann's thrombasthenia and Bernard-Soulier syndrome, has also been reported [2]. Recombinant factor VIIa has also been used to treat bleeding in patients with apparently normal hemostasis prior to the bleeding episode [3]. The first report of the use of rFVIIa for the successful treatment of a life-threatening traumatic bleeding after a gunshot injury was published in 1999 [4]. After the report of treatment of two cases of massive intraabdominal postoperative hemorrhage with rFVIIa [5] other anecdotal reports of rFVIIa use for intractable postoperative bleeding have been published [2]. In a single small randomized trial with patients undergoing elective retropubic prostatectomy the prophylactic administration of low-dose rFVIIa reduced bleeding and transfusions [6].
A generalized coagulation disorder after cardiac surgery that is associated with massive postoperative hemorrhage is not completely understood. The use of rFVIIa after cardiac surgery has been controversial because there is a theoretical concern that giving rFVIIa after cardiac surgery and cardiopulmonary bypass in a situation of enhanced thrombin generation and tissue factor expression would be a risk for thrombotic complications [7]. However, rFVIIa has emerged as a possible "salvage" medication to treat intractable postoperative bleeding. The experience reported in the literature is based on a few case reports [814] and two small case series in pediatric cardiac surgical patients [15, 16] and two case series in adult cardiac surgical patients, the other of which is in abstract form [17, 18]. Thromboembolic complications have not been reported in any of these reports. However, a single fatal thrombosis after prothrombin complex concentrate and rFVIIa administration to a patient on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation with excessive bleeding after redo lung transplantation has been reported [19]. Because of the limited experience and controversy related to the use of rFVIIa in the treatment of bleeding after cardiac surgery, this study was undertaken to analyze all consecutive cardiac surgical patients who have received rFVIIa in our institution and to evaluate the safety and efficacy of rFVIIa after cardiac surgery in our institution.
| Material and Methods |
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The operative risk was evaluated with the EuroSCORE scoring system, which takes into account several patient, cardiac, and operation related preoperative risk factors such as age, sex, the presence of pulmonary, neurologic, and renal comorbidity, the presence of extracardiac arteriopathy, previous cardiac surgery, active endocarditis, unstable angina, left ventricle dysfunction, recent myocardial infarct, pulmonary hypertension, urgency, and the type of surgery performed [20].
Patient care followed institutional guidelines during the study period. Cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) was performed using a noncoated circuit and a membrane oxygenator. Heparin (5,000 IU) was added to the CPB priming solution and an initial intravenous dose of 300 IU/ kg of heparin was administered. Heparinization was monitored with kaolin-activated clotting time (ACT) measurements every 30 minutes and ACT was maintained above 480 seconds with additional doses of 5,000 IU of heparin intravenously if needed. Heparinization was neutralized with 1 mg of protamine sulphate per 100 IU of the heparin loading dose. During cardiopulmonary bypass hematocrit was maintained above 0.25. After CPB the cutoff values for postoperative packed red blood cell transfusions were hemoglobin under 80 g/L or hematocrit under 0.30. In case of increased intraoperative or postoperative bleeding (chest tube bleeding > 200 mL/hour) plasma-activated partial thromboplastin time, plasma thromboplastin time, and platelet count were measured. If plasma thromboplastin time was prolonged more than 1.5 fold from the preoperative value or plasma-activated partial thromboplastin time was over 50 seconds, 15 mL/kg of fresh frozen plasma was administered. If the platelet count was under 100 x 109/L, one unit of platelet concentrate/10 kg of weight was administered. Prothrombin complex concentrate, human factor VIII-von Willebrand factor concentrate, human fibrinogen concentrate, and factor XIII concentrate could be used as part of the component therapy administered according to the anesthesiologist's discretion. The use of rFVIIa was reserved for life-threatening bleeding with no identifiable surgical source after adequate, conventional blood component therapy as suggested in the literature [3]. During the study period there were no institutional guidelines for the dosage of rFVIIa.
The data were analyzed with the SPSS for Windows release 11.5.1 software (SPSS Inc, Chicago, IL). Normality of distributions was tested with the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test. The Mann-Whitney U test was used when comparing bleeding and transfusions before and after rFVIIa administration. The p values of 0.05 or less were considered statistically significant.
| Results |
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Patient No. 7 was operated for acute type A aortic dissection. The ascending aorta was reconstructed with a Dacron graft leaving the aortic valve intact. The distal anastomosis was sutured under deep hypothermic circulatory arrest. There was increased bleeding into the chest tubes postoperatively and the patient received transfusions of packed RBCs, platelets, and FFP. The bleeding continued and the patient was given 87 µg/ kg of rFVIIa, which resulted in immediate hemostasis. The patient recovered otherwise, but was left with a left-sided paralysis and computed tomography scan of the brain showed multiple embolic infarctions bilaterally.
Patient No. 8 was operated for acute type A aortic dissection. The ascending aorta was reconstructed with a composite aortic mechanical valved graft. The distal anastomosis was sutured under deep hypothermic circulatory arrest. Diffuse bleeding was controlled with transfusions of packed RBCs, platelets, and FFP, and finally 24 µg/ kg of rFVIIa. Postoperatively the patient was diagnosed with acute ischemia of the right lower limb. Computed tomography angiography showed thrombosis of the right iliac artery and a left to right femoro-femoral cross-over was performed. The postoperative course was complicated by transient renal failure, critical illness polyneuropathy, and respiratory insufficiency, but after prolonged intensive care and rehabilitation the patient recovered and was discharged from the hospital.
Patient No. 12 received an orthotopic heart transplantation that was complicated by massive perioperative bleeding due to preoperative right side heart failure and liver failure. Bleeding stopped after transfusions of packed red cells, platelets, FFP, 3 g of human fibrinogen (Hemocomplettan®, Aventis Behring GmbH, Marburg, Germany), 1,000 IU of human factor VIII concentrate-von Willebrand factor concentrate (Haemate®, Aventis Behring GmbH, Marburg, Germany), and finally 43 µg/kg of rFVIIa. The immediate postoperative stage was stable until sudden acute graft dysfunction that led to resuscitation and emergency reinstitution of cardiopulmonary bypass occurred. The patient died despite circulatory support with bilateral centrifugal pumps. Histology of the transplanted heart showed multiple acute myocardial infarctions in multiple areas of the left ventricle.
| Comment |
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Predisposing factors, such as cardiovascular disease, atherosclerosis, hypertension, diabetes, or advanced age have been present in most of the patients who have suffered from thromboembolic complications after rFVIIa treatment [1, 2]. These risk factors are invariably present in cardiac surgical patients. Cardiopulmonary bypass causes activation of the hemostatic system and increased thrombin generation [21] and rFVIIa further enhances the rate of thrombin formation on activated platelets [2]. Tissue factor is expressed on atherosclerotic plaques and circulating tissue factor is present in patients with acute coronary syndromes [22]. Tissue factor is also expressed in ischemic myocardium [23]. Because, theoretically, rFVIIa acts at sites where tissue factor is exposed to the circulation, the administration of exogenous rFVIIa during tissue factor expression could be the cause of thrombosis.
Recombinant factor VIIa has a possible role in the treatment of otherwise intractable life-threatening bleeding after cardiac surgery, but randomized, controlled trials are required to prove its safety and efficacy. A prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled trial in adult cardiac surgical patients with a high risk of serious hemorrhage has been reported to being ongoing [24]. Based on our experience we recommend caution in the use of rFVIIa after cardiac surgery before the results of randomized trials are published. Furthermore, institutional guidelines to direct the use of rFVIIa after cardiac surgery should be established.
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