Successful use of activated recombinant factor VII to control bleeding abnormalities in a patient with a left ventricular assist device.

This is a case report on effective hemostasis achieved after administering recombinant factor VIIa in a patient who had severe intra-operative and post-operative bleeding and severe hemostatic disturbances following cardiac valve surgery and insertion of left ventricular assist device. Two relatively small doses of rFVIIa were used (20 and 30 mg/L) and there was no evidence for thrombosis or platelet aggregation. Bleeding was controlled effectively, but the patient died after 7 days due to tension pneumothorax.

– M. Aldouri.