title: Decreasing use of donated blood and reduction of bleeding after orthotopic heart transplantation by use of aprotinin.
abstract: Twenty patients undergoing orthotopic heart transplantation were randomized preoperatively to receive either the serine proteinase inhibitor aprotinin in a low dose (560 mg; n = 10) or a placebo (control group, n = 10) at the time of transplantation. Blood loss 24 and 48 hours after transplantation was significantly lower in the group treated with aprotinin (i.e., 510 ml vs 820 ml, p less than 0.01, and 690 ml vs 1000 ml, p less than 0.03, respectively. Accordingly, the aprotinin group required significantly less transfused blood in the first 48 postoperative hours 0 to 250 ml versus 0 to 1000 ml (p less than 0.04). Seventy percent of the patients treated with aprotinin underwent transplantation without the need of nonautologous blood, compared with only 30% in the control group.
authors.affiliation: Second Department of Surgery, Vienna University, Clinic Medical School, Austria.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Havel
authors.forename: A N
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Owen
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Simon
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Teufelsbauer
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zwoelfer
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Laczkovics
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Wolner
mesh_terms: D007611:Aprotinin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016063:Blood Loss, Surgical / Q000517:prevention & control*; D001803:Blood Transfusion; D002311:Cardiomyopathy, Dilated / Q000601:surgery; D016027:Heart Transplantation; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male
chemical_list: D007611:Aprotinin