title: Beneficial effect of heparin in the management of patients with APL.
abstract: 115 patients with acute promyelocytic leukaemia (APL) were studied retrospectively to evaluate prognostic factors and assess therapeutic approaches, particularly the use of heparin in the management of disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC). The remission rate was 86% (30/35 patients) in those who received heparin and 49% (39/80 patients) in those who received no heparin (P = 0.0002). This difference in remission rates was accounted for by a marked decrease in the number of haemorrhagic deaths, especially those due to intracranial haemorrhage (ICH), in the heparin treated group. Other factors associated with a poor remission rate were prothrombin ratio (PTR) greater than 1.3 (P = 0.008), fibrinogen less than 1.5 g/l (P = 0.02) and WCC greater than 2.0 x 10(9)/l (P = 0.03).
authors.affiliation: Department of Haematological Medicine, University Clinical School, Cambridge.
authors.forename: C F
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Hoyle
authors.forename: D M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Swirsky
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Freedman
authors.forename: F G
authors.initials: FG
authors.lastname: Hayhoe
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001780:Blood Coagulation Tests; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004211:Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation / Q000188:drug therapy; D004341:Drug Evaluation; D005260:Female; D006493:Heparin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D015470:Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D006493:Heparin