title: Use of activated clotting time for monitoring anticoagulation during cardiopulmonary bypass in infants and children with congenital heart disease.
abstract: The use of a fixed dosage schedule was compared with the use of activated clotting time (ACT) for determining heparin and protamine dosages during and after cardiopulmonary bypass disease. Use of the ACT resulted in a statistically significant increase in heparin dosage and a statistically significant reduction of postoperative blood loss. With ACT use, chest tubes were retained for a shorter period of time, and the incidence of serious postoperative hemorrhage was reduced from 44% to 18%. These results confirm the superiority of the ACT method for monitoring intraoperative anticoagulation in pediatric patients with congenital heart disease.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Anesthesiology, and Pediatrics of The Medical College of Wisconsin at the Milwaukee Children's Hospital, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53233.
authors.forename: S Bert
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Litwin
authors.forename: Samir K.
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Mitra
authors.forename: Rochelle
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Von Colditz
authors.forename: John Von
authors.initials: JV
authors.lastname: Colditz
authors.forename: Linda B.
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Hamilton
authors.forename: Terrance
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: McManus
authors.forename: Hani G.
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Jume'an
authors.forename: Jack
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lazerson