Perioperative course and recovery after heparin-coated cardiopulmonary bypass: low-dose versus high-dose heparin management.
OBJECTIVE
To compare two heparin managements for a cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) procedure with heparin-coated equipment. The hypothesis was that a lower heparin dose may reduce blood loss and homologous transfusion requirements and influence the speed of postoperative recovery.


METHODS
Prospective, randomized, and open study.


METHODS
Operating room and intensive care unit in a university hospital.


METHODS
Twenty-four patients undergoing first-time elective coronary artery surgery.


METHODS
Heparin-coated CPB equipment (Duraflo II; Baxter-Bentley) was used in all patients. The study group (n = 12) received low-dose (100 IU/kg i.v. and 0 to 1,000 IU/L priming; target level of activated coagulation time [ACT] over 180 seconds during CPB; suction in a red cell washing device); and the control group (n = 12) received high-dose (300 IU/kg i.v. and 5,000 IU/L priming; ACT over 480 seconds; standard cardiotomy suction) heparin management.


RESULTS
ACT remained above 200 seconds after the initial heparin dose in the study group for the CPB duration up to 99 minutes. In 11 of 12 patients in the control group, additional heparin was required during CPB. Total doses of heparin and protamine (mean 8,017 v 50,508 IU and 83 v 325 mg, respectively; p < 0.0001), volume of homologous blood transfusion (median 600 v 1450 mL; p < 0.025), and blood products exposure (median 0.5 v 5.0 units/patients; p < 0.05) were significantly lower in the study group. Postoperative chest drainage showed a trend to lower volume loss (median 705 v 930 mL; p < 0.08) in patients managed with low-dose heparin. Oxygenator resistance during CPB, perioperative laboratory analyses (oxygen and metabolic data, hematocrit, platelet count, prothrombin, thrombin, activated partial thromboplastin time, fibrinogen, D-dimers, creatine kinase, and myocardial band of creatine kinase concentration), fluid balance, and the time periods required for extubation, stay in the intensive care unit, and hospital discharge were not different between the groups. There were no evidences of myocardial infarction in any of 24 patients, and all recovered after the procedure.


CONCLUSIONS
Low-dose heparin management enabled uneventful procedures with heparin-coated CPB equipment, significantly decreased protamine and homologous blood requirements, but did not reduce chest drainage or influence the postoperative course and recovery in patients after coronary artery surgery.
Weiss
B M
BM
Department of Anesthesiology, University Hospital Zürich, Switzerland.
von Segesser
L K
LK
Turina
M I
MI
Seifert
B
B
Pasch
T
T
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002315:Cardiopulmonary Bypass; D005260:Female; D006493:Heparin / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014914:Whole Blood Coagulation Time
D006493:Heparin