Recombinant activated factor VII therapy in acquired hemophilia of the elderly.
Acquired hemophilia is a life-threatening condition associated with a high mortality, occurring mainly in elderly patients. We report on a 92-year-old male, administered two courses of 90 microg kg(-1) of recombinant activated factor VII (rFVIIa) due to failure of human factor VIII (FVIII) therapy, without side effects nor evidence of thrombotic complications. Despite the bleeding being completely under control, the patient died on day 11 of acute respiratory failure due to pneumonia. This case confirms previous reports on the complexity and severity of this disorder, showing that rFVIIa is an effective and safe agent for achieving hemostasis even in elderly patients with a FVIII inhibitor.
Dragani
Alfredo
A
Dipartimento di Ematologia, Servizio di Prevenzione e Cura Sindromi Emorragiche e Trombotiche, Ospedale Civile dello "Spirito Santo", Pescara, Italy. ematologia.emostasi@ausl.pe.it
Di Bartolomeo
Erminia
E
La Barba
Gaetano
G
Cavoni
Adele
A
Lanzillotta
Pasquale
P
Guizzardi
Giuseppe
G
Davì
Giovanni
G
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005169:Factor VIII / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015942:Factor VIIa / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006467:Hemophilia A / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013997:Time Factors
D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D005169:Factor VIII; D015942:Factor VIIa