My brother has severe sepsis--should he receive Xigris?
Six years ago, a publication in a quite well known scientific medical journal brought hope and a good dose of optimism to sepsis therapy and the critical care community. For the first time, a careful randomized controlled trial in patients with severe sepsis or septic shock seemed to show a clearly beneficial effect of a new drug, i.e. of activated recombinant human protein C. This new treatment possibility was welcomed as an important breakthrough and a hope for a better management of a deadly disease. However, further evaluation of the results of the trial and new investigations did not confirm entirely the initial optimism. As a consequence, the adequate indications for this expensive drug remain controversial.
University of Geneva, Switzerland. Peter.Suter@medecine.unige.ch
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D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017408:Guidelines as Topic; D006801:Humans; D011486:Protein C / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018805:Sepsis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000628:therapy
D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents; D011486:Protein C; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; C421124:drotrecogin alfa activated