A comparison before and after aprotinin was suspended in cardiac surgery: different results in the real world from a single cardiac center in China.
OBJECTIVE
Use of aprotinin has been suspended in cardiac surgery since recent studies reported its risks associated with mortality and other adverse events. This study was to investigate the safety and efficacy of aprotinin through a comparison before and after aprotinin was suspended in cardiac surgery.


METHODS
We designed a case-control study in two groups of patients who underwent cardiac surgery just before and after aprotinin was suspended in China. The aprotinin group (n = 1699) was defined as operations performed from June 19, 2007, to December 18, 2007, when aprotinin was used in all the patients. The control group (n = 2225) was defined as operations performed from December 19, 2007, to June 18, 2008, when aprotinin was not used. We compared early postoperative outcomes between the two groups.


RESULTS
The aprotinin group had less postoperative blood loss, transfusion requirement, and reoperation for bleeding. Application of aprotinin did not increase the risk of in-hospital mortality (0.5% vs 1.0%; P = .08) and other major adverse outcome events, including renal, cardiac, neurologic, and pulmonary complications. The aprotinin group had a shorter mechanical ventilation time (P = .04), a lower rate of delayed mechanical ventilation time (P = .04), and a higher arterial oxygen tension/inspired oxygen fraction ratio in arterial blood gas analysis (P < .001). Multivariable logistic regression analysis confirmed findings from univariate analysis. After propensity adjustment for the baseline characteristics, we obtained similar results.


CONCLUSIONS
Use of aprotinin in cardiac surgery could reduce blood loss and transfusion requirement significantly and showed a protective effect on the lungs, but it did not increase the risk of mortality or major complications.
Wang
Xianqiang
X
Department of Cardiovascular Surgery and Research Center for Cardiovascular Regenerative Medicine, Cardiovascular Institute and Fuwai Hospital, Beijing, China.
Zheng
Zhe
Z
Ao
Hushan
H
Zhang
Shiju
S
Wang
Yang
Y
Zhang
Hao
H
Li
Lihuan
L
Hu
Shengshou
S
D000368:Aged; D007611:Aprotinin / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016063:Blood Loss, Surgical; D001803:Blood Transfusion; D006348:Cardiac Surgical Procedures / Q000401:mortality; D005260:Female; D006490:Hemostatics / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011182:Postoperative Care; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D012086:Reoperation; D012121:Respiration, Artificial; D015842:Serine Proteinase Inhibitors / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D006490:Hemostatics; D015842:Serine Proteinase Inhibitors; D007611:Aprotinin