title: Management of patients with severe sepsis, treated by drotrecogin alfa (activated).
abstract: A number of management issues confront the clinician treating a critically ill patient with drotrecogin alfa (activated) (Xigris; Eli Lilly and Company, Indianapolis, IN), a compound documented to significantly reduce the risk of 28-day all-cause mortality in patients with severe sepsis. The management issues that will be discussed include differentiating drug effect from the hemostatic changes of sepsis, prevention and management of bleeding during drotrecogin alfa (activated) infusion, treatment considerations in the patient with thrombocytopenia or disseminated intravascular coagulation, thromboprophylaxis in drug-treated patients, and the use of drotrecogin alfa (activated) in patients requiring renal replacement therapy. Proper adherence to principles described in this article can facilitate patient management and reduce the risk of bleeding.
authors.affiliation: Department of Critical Care Medicine, Saint-Luc University Hospital-Louvain Medical School, 10 Avenue Hippocrate, 1200 Brussels, Belgium. laterre@rean.ucl.ac.be
authors.forename: Pierre-François
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: Laterre
authors.forename: Darell
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Heiselman
mesh_terms: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000925:Anticoagulants / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016638:Critical Illness / Q000628:therapy; D004211:Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy; D004357:Drug Synergism; D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006402:Hematologic Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D006403:Hematologic Tests; D006470:Hemorrhage / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000628:therapy; D006493:Heparin / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy; D011486:Protein C / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000502:physiology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017582:Renal Replacement Therapy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods; D013514:Surgical Procedures, Operative / Q000009:adverse effects; D018746:Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000628:therapy; D013921:Thrombocytopenia / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy; D013923:Thromboembolism / Q000517:prevention & control
chemical_list: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D000925:Anticoagulants; D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents; D011486:Protein C; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D006493:Heparin; C421124:drotrecogin alfa activated