title: Anticoagulation with hirudin for continuous veno-venous hemodialysis in liver transplantation.
abstract: Postoperative encephalopathy after orthotopic liver transplantation can be difficult to diagnose. We report a case of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia in a liver transplant patient who had seizures. Due to poor liver function the patient developed hepatorenal syndrome requiring continuous veno-venous hemodialysis (CVVHD). Initially we used heparin as the anticoagulant. After the diagnosis of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) was made, we switched to r-hirudin. No serious side effects, e.g. bleeding or immune sensitization, were seen.
authors.affiliation: Department of General and Transplantation Surgery, University Hospital Essen, Germany. fuat.saner@uni-essen.de
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Saner
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hertl
authors.forename: C E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Broelsch
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006440:Hemofiltration; D019693:Hepatitis, Autoimmune / Q000601:surgery; D024764:Hirudin Therapy; D006629:Hirudins / Q000009:adverse effects; D006801:Humans; D008102:Liver Circulation / Q000502:physiology; D016031:Liver Transplantation / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D010314:Partial Thromboplastin Time; D011517:Prothrombin Time
chemical_list: D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents; D006629:Hirudins