The effect of recombinant factor VIIa on coagulopathic pigs with grade V liver injuries.

This study illustrates one of the unusual situations in Medicine where evidence of drug efficacy in human preceded animal studies. After the publication of several case reports on the effectiveness of rFVIIa in controlling traumatic bleeding, this study proves its efficacy in reducing bleeding after grade V liver injury in hypothermic dilutionally coagulopathic pigs, as adjuvant to abdominal packing. Bleeding was significantly less in animals which received 180 or 720 mg/kg in comparison to control, with no difference between the two doses.

– M. Aldouri