title: Detrimental effect of aprotinin ban on amount of blood loss during liver transplantation: single-center experience.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Aprotinin, a plasmin inhibitor, had been used for reduction of intraoperative bleeding caused by hyperfibrinolysis during extensive surgery. Prophylaxis with aprotinin to limit blood loss during orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) had been widely applied until the drug was weaned off the therapeutic list for severe complications. We compared the need for blood and blood products transfusion in patients undergoing OLT with and without the use of aprotinin.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective analysis was performed on 150 patients, who underwent OLT between March 2004 and August 2008 and were divided into 2 groups: the APRO group (n = 111) after induction of anesthesia was given a bolus of 500 kIU of aprotinin in a 30-minutes infusion followed by 140 kIU/h till the end of the OLT in which aprotinin was not administered, and the NON-APRO group (n = 39).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients from the NON-APRO group needed significantly more units of packed red blood cells (PRBC) than the APRO group (5.53 ± 4.89 vs 3.99 ± 3.58 units; P = .037). Avoidance of aprotinin administration (β = 1.408), Child-Pugh score (β = 0.519), and duration of anhepatic phase (β = 0.03) affected the volume of transfused blood according to multiple regression analysis (P < .05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study confirmed the important prophylactic role aprotinin used to have during OLT in limiting the need for blood transfusions. Further research and progress in methods of blood loss minimization and monitoring of hemostasis are needed to warrant safe liver transplantation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Trzebicki
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kosieradzki
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Flakiewicz
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kuzminska
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wasiak
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pacholczyk
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lagiewska
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Lisik
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kosson
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kulik
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chmura
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lazowski
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D007611:Aprotinin / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D016063:Blood Loss, Surgical; D017707:Erythrocyte Transfusion; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016031:Liver Transplantation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D007611:Aprotinin