Monitoring of activated coagulation time in carotid endarterectomy.
BACKGROUND
The objective of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy of monitoring activated coagulation time (ACT) during carotid endarterectomy (CEA) in reducing surgical risks and complications.


METHODS
A total of 175 consecutive patients who had CEA between July 2002 and January 2004 were studied. Activated coagulation time was monitored during the procedure in all patients. The results were compared with the data reported in the literature, and with those obtained in 2 previous series, totaling 1924 patients treated at the same service before the use of ACT.


RESULTS
Only 4 of the 175 patients had cerebral ischemia, with 3 of them almost completely recovering during hospitalization. Significant morbidity was 0.6% and mortality was 0.6%. No statistically significant difference in the incidence of cerebral ischemia or death was observed between symptomatic and asymptomatic patients. In the 2 previous series used for comparison, operated by the same author, we found 0.7% and 0.8% of significant morbidity and 1.4% and 2.6% of mortality, respectively. Most series in the literature have shown a higher significant morbidity than the present one, mainly in symptomatic patients. The incidence of hematoma in the present series was 5.7%, only 3 (1.7%) of them being significant. No increase in the frequency of hematomas was observed in cases where heparin was not reversed or in those using a shunt. In the 2 other previous series, the incidence of hematomas was 1.5% and 3.6%.


CONCLUSIONS
Activated coagulation time monitoring during CEA was effective in evaluating the level of heparinization of patients during surgery and the immediate postoperative period. The comparison of the present series with the literature and with the previous series of the same service, before the use of ACT, permits also to conclude that the control of the level of heparinization seems to reduce the risk of perioperative and immediate postoperative ischemia. In addition, ACT monitoring also seems to be effective in diminishing the risk of postoperative cervical hematoma.
de Sousa
Atos Alves
AA
Department of Neurosurgery, Faculty of Medical Sciences and Santa Casa Hospital, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais 30150310, Brazil. sousatos@terra.com.br
Dellaretti
Marcos Antônio
MA
Faglioni
Wilson
W
Carvalho
Gervásio Telles Cardoso
GT
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D016894:Endarterectomy, Carotid / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods* / Q000401:mortality; D005260:Female; D006406:Hematoma / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D006493:Heparin / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D019106:Postoperative Hemorrhage / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D013997:Time Factors; D014914:Whole Blood Coagulation Time / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards
D006493:Heparin