Effectiveness of bivalirudin as a replacement for heparin during cardiopulmonary bypass in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting

• Published in: The American journal of cardiology Vol. 93; no. 3; pp. 356 - 359
• Main Authors: Koster, Andreas, Spiess, Bruce, Chew, Derek P., Krabatsch, Thomas, Tambeur, Luc, DeAnda, Abe, Hetzer, Roland, Kuppe, Hermann, Smedira, Nicholas G., Lincoff, A.Michael
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Elsevier Inc 01.02.2004; Elsevier; Elsevier Limited
• Subjects: Aged; Biological and medical sciences; Cardiology; Cardiology. Vascular system; Cardiopulmonary Bypass - methods; Coronary Artery Bypass; Drug therapy; Female; Fibrinolytic Agents - blood; Fibrinolytic Agents - pharmacology; Hirudins - analogs & derivatives; Hirudins - blood; Hirudins - pharmacology; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Monitoring, Intraoperative; Peptide Fragments - blood; Peptide Fragments - pharmacology; Pilot Projects; Prospective Studies; Recombinant Proteins - blood; Recombinant Proteins - pharmacology; Surgery; Surgery (general aspects). Transplantations, organ and tissue grafts. Graft diseases; Surgery of the heart; Cardiopulmonary bypass; Human; Treatment; Aortocoronary; Bypass; Efficiency; Surgery; Coronary artery; Graft; Bivalirudin; Replacement; Heparin
• ISSN: 0002-9149; 1879-1913
• DOI: 10.1016/j.amjcard.2003.10.021

We investigated the use of bivalirudin as an anticoagulant therapy during cardiopulmonary bypass in 20 patients who underwent coronary artery bypass grafting. Primary end points consisted of clinical outcome data, whereas secondary end points focused on blood loss, transfusions, pharmacokinetics, and monitoring. Our data provide the first evidence of clinical feasibility of anticoagulation with bivalirudin during cardiopulmonary bypass.