title: Altered heparin pharmacodynamics in patients with pulmonary embolism.
abstract: Heparin clearance and pharmacodynamic response were examined in 12 patients being treated for deep venous thrombosis (DVT, 6 patients) or pulmonary embolism (PE, 6 patients). A loading dose of 70 units/kg was administered to DVT patients and 100 units/kg to PE patients followed by an initial infusion rate of 15 or 25 units/kg/h for DVT or PE patients, respectively. Heparin clearance was determined at 4, 12, and 24 h after initiating heparin therapy. The mean heparin clearance in the DVT group was 2,164 +/- 1,024 ml/h at 4 h, 2,591 +/- 1,239 ml/h at 12 h, and 2,795 +/- 1,863 m/h at 24 h. The PE patients had clearances of 1,775 +/- 494, 2,004 +/- 321, and 2,843 +/- 1,000 ml/h at 4, 12, and 24 h, respectively. The difference between the two groups was not statistically significant (p greater than 0.50). The activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) was used as a measure of heparin effect. The maximum effect (EMAX) and concentration required to attain 50% of the maximum effect (EC50) were determined for each group using the Lineweaver-Burke linearization method. The mean EMAX and EC50 for the DVT patients were 130 +/- 40.99 s and 1.01 +/- 0.70 units/ml, respectively. For the PE patients, the mean EMAX was 418 +/- 200 s and the mean EC50 was 4.32 +/- 2.81 units/ml. The difference between both groups for each parameter was statistically significant (p less than 0.05).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy Practice, College of Pharmacy, University of Utah, Salt Lake City 84112.
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Kandrotas
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gal
authors.forename: J B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Douglas
authors.forename: J B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Groce
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Hansen
mesh_terms: D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D006493:Heparin / Q000493:pharmacokinetics* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011655:Pulmonary Embolism / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000517:prevention & control; D013924:Thrombophlebitis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000517:prevention & control
chemical_list: D006493:Heparin