title: Activated clotting time (ACT)-guided intravenous dalteparin dosing during percutaneous coronary intervention.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The activated clotting time (ACT) has been reported to be sensitive to the anticoagulant activity of the low-molecular weight heparin dalteparin following intravenous (IV) administration.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the feasibility of an ACT-guided dalteparin dose adjustment strategy during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a retrospective study of 104 consecutive patients who underwent PCI using an ACT-guided strategy of IV dalteparin. All patients received an initial IV bolus of 50 IU/kg of dalteparin. The minimum target ACT was 175 seconds for patients who received glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors and 200 seconds for patients who did not. Patients who did not achieve the target ACT after the initial 50 IU/kg were given supplemental boluses of dalteparin based on the assumption that for every additional 10 IU/kg of dalteparin, the ACT will rise by approximately 10 seconds.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After the initial bolus of dalteparin, the mean baseline ACT rose from 138 +/- 41 seconds to 235 +/- 78 seconds. In the 36 patients (35% of the study population) who required a mean supplemental dose of 14 +/- 6 IU/kg/kg, the mean ACT after the supplemental dose was 239 +/- 79 seconds. The composite endpoint of in-hospital death, target vessel revascularization (TVR) and myocardial infarction (MI) was 5.8%. Major and minor bleeding rates were 1% each. The composite incidence of death/MI/TVR was comparable to, and the bleeding complications were lower than, those achieved in the SYNERGY and STEEPLE trials.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  ACT-guided dose adjustment of intravenously administered dalteparin during PCI appears to constitute a feasible strategy.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, State University of New York, Downstate Medical Center, New York, USA. jonathan@marmur.com
authors.forename: Jonathan D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Marmur
authors.forename: Shyam
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Poludasu
authors.forename: Alan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Feit
authors.forename: Venkata R
authors.initials: VR
authors.lastname: Battala
authors.forename: Erdal
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cavusoglu
mesh_terms: D015906:Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary / Q000379:methods*; D000925:Anticoagulants / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001777:Blood Coagulation / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D016063:Blood Loss, Surgical / Q000517:prevention & control; D018849:Controlled Clinical Trials as Topic; D017985:Dalteparin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D017984:Enoxaparin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology; D006493:Heparin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology; D006495:Heparin, Low-Molecular-Weight / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors; D014914:Whole Blood Coagulation Time
chemical_list: D000925:Anticoagulants; D017984:Enoxaparin; D006495:Heparin, Low-Molecular-Weight; D006493:Heparin; D017985:Dalteparin