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Recombinant activated factor VII as a promising adjuvant therapy for postpartum hemorrhage in the practice of obstetric anesthesia: Experience from a university hospital in Taiwan
Author(s) -
Jan JingYi,
Lin ShinYu,
Lin ChiaHui,
Lee ChienNan,
Fan ShouZen,
Han YinYi
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
journal of obstetrics and gynaecology research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.597
H-Index - 50
eISSN - 1447-0756
pISSN - 1341-8076
DOI - 10.1111/j.1447-0756.2010.01422.x
Subject(s) - medicine , hemostasis , hysterectomy , adverse effect , surgery , recombinant factor viia , refractory (planetary science) , recombinant dna , postpartum bleeding , anesthesia , pregnancy , biochemistry , chemistry , physics , genetics , astrobiology , biology , gene
Massive postpartum hemorrhage is one of the major complications in the peripartum period. In some critical cases, hemostasis is hard to achieve even after a hysterectomy has been performed. Recombinant activated factor VII has been reported as a promising adjuvant therapy for obstetric hemorrhage, although it remains unlicensed for this indication. Eight cases receiving recombinant activated factor VII in postpartum hemorrhage refractory to the conventional therapy in a Taiwanese hospital were analyzed retrospectively. A good response, defined as bleeding control in 15 min, was achieved in six patients (75%) with a single dose ranging from 55 to 105 µg/kg. The two patients with a poor response were later discovered to have had unsolved birth canal injuries. No drug‐related adverse effects were noted. We recommend that any surgical bleeding should first be controlled, as well as the correction of metabolic and hematological abnormalities; however, in the situation of intractable postpartum hemorrhage, recombinant activated factor VII offers a salvage therapy and should be considered early, even before hysterectomy.