title: The effect of coagulation protection with combination of epsilon aminocaproic acid and plasma saver in open-heart surgery.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Bleeding remains a major complication and a major determinant in the prognosis of open-heart surgery. Coagulopathy related to cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) seems to be the culprit. Since homologous blood transfusion in many occasions is not only responsible for mobidity and mortality but also increases medical costs. Therefore, the application of autologous blood transfusion including components such as PRBC, FFP and platelets concentrate is inevitable and comes in its stead. To reduce the use of homologous plasma and platelets transfusion in open-heart surgery, we designed a study to utilize the combination of autologous platelet rich plasma (PRP) and epsilon aminocaproic acid (EACA) to evaluate its effects on blood loss and blood component transfusion in open-heart patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty patients who received elective cardiac surgery were randomly divided into 3 groups: 1. Control group; 2. EACA group (150 mg/kg, i.v. before CPB); 3. PRP-EACA group (PRP 10 ml/kg harvested with a plasma saver followed by i.v. EACA 150 mg/kg). Anesthesia was uniform in all patients. Coagulation profile was evaluated by thromboelastography (TEG) during the operation. Blood loss during operation and the amount of drainage from the chest tubes in the postoperative period were recorded and compared between groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients who were given EACA injection before CPB saw less blood loss perioperatively and received less transfusion of blood components. TEG analysis showed that patients who received EACA injection had a better coagulation profile and the platelet function was also better after CPB. However, no additive effect can be attained from combination of autologous PRP transfusion and EACA injection.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  With Pre-CPB EACA as protection, reduction of both blood loss and blood transfusion could be realized in open-heart surgery.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, China Medical College Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan, R.O.C.
authors.forename: Y C
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: T P
authors.initials: TP
authors.lastname: Tsai
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015119:Aminocaproic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology; D000933:Antifibrinolytic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001777:Blood Coagulation; D002315:Cardiopulmonary Bypass / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D017713:Platelet Transfusion; D013916:Thrombelastography
chemical_list: D000933:Antifibrinolytic Agents; D015119:Aminocaproic Acid