Does desmopressin improve hemostasis and reduce blood loss from aortic surgery? A randomized, double-blind study. Influence of desmopressin acetate on homologous blood requirements in cardiac surgical patients pretreated with aspirin. Desmopressin usage in elective cardiac surgery. The role of DDAVP (desmopressin) in orthognathic surgery. Use of desmopressin acetate to reduce blood transfusion requirements during cardiac surgery in patients with acetylsalicylic-acid-induced platelet dysfunction. Desmopressin acetate in uncomplicated coronary artery bypass surgery: a prospective randomized clinical trial. Desmopressin acetate in cardiac surgery: a double-blind, randomized study. Randomized study of aprotinin and DDAVP to reduce postoperative bleeding after cardiopulmonary bypass surgery. Blood loss and safety with desmopressin or placebo during aorto-iliac graft surgery.
The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of desmopressin acetate (DDAVP) on blood loss, transfusion requirements, and thromboembolic complications in patients undergoing elective aortic operations.
                A randomized, double-blind trial was carried out during a 3-year period with patients receiving 20 micrograms DDAVP or identical-appearing placebo at the time of aortic cross-clamp placement. In addition to major bleeding and thromboembolic end points, bleeding times and platelet counts were monitored serially.
                Forty-three patients were randomized to receive DDAVP, and 48 were assigned to a placebo. An equivalent proportion of patients with aneurysm and patients with occlusive disease was in each group. In spite of mild prolongation in the postoperative bleeding times and moderate thrombocytopenia, DDAVP had no beneficial effect on blood loss or transfusion requirements. Total blood transfusion amount (mean +/- standard deviation) for patients receiving DDAVP was 3.1 +/- 3.0 U compared with 2.7 +/- 3.0 U for those receiving placebo. For all patients the period associated with the greatest blood loss was the time between heparin administration with cross-clamp application and reversal of heparin with protamine sulfate. The incidence of major thromboembolic complications was similar in both groups.
                Thrombocytopenia and mild platelet dysfunction are common after aortic operation, but DDAVP does not improve hemostasis or lessen transfusion requirements. This study does not rule out a beneficial effect of DDAVP in patients who are undergoing more complex aortic operations or who have major hemostatic aberrations. Conflicting results have been reported concerning the effect of the synthetic vasopressin analog desmopressin acetate (DDAVP) on perioperative bleeding and homologous blood requirements in cardiac surgery. Because patients preoperatively treated with platelet-inhibiting drugs are at increased risk of perioperative bleeding, the blood-saving effect of DDAVP was investigated in 40 male patients undergoing primary myocardial revascularization. All patients had taken aspirin within the last 5 days prior to surgery. In a double-blind, randomized trial, the effects of DDAVP (0.3 microgram/kg of body weight) were compared to those of saline placebo on postoperative blood loss and the need to replace blood products. To evaluate the drug's influence on the coagulation and fibrinolytic systems, von Willebrand factor (vWF), the activities of tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) and plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI 1), and the split products of cross-linked fibrin (D-dimers) were investigated. The total homologous blood requirement was significantly lower in DDAVP recipients (median 2, range, 0 to 5 U) compared to placebo (median 3.5, range, 0 to 8 U; P < 0.05). Although at all points of measurement (intraoperative and postoperative) transfusion requirement was less in the DDAVP group, hematocrit values of these patients always exceeded those of the placebo group, this difference being significant at the end of the operation. Because no difference in postoperative blood loss was found, the markedly reduced transfusion requirement of the DDAVP-treated patients is explained either by reduced intraoperative bleeding or by a reduced hematocrit of the chest-tube blood.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS) Desmopressin acetate (DDAVP) has been implicated as a promising agent to reduce blood loss in patients undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass.
                The effects of intraoperative desmopressin were studied in 66 patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting, randomized equally into desmopressin and control groups. The desmopressin group received 0.3 microg/kg desmopressin at the end of cardiopulmonary bypass.
                Fibrinogen level of both groups significantly reduced at postoperative 2nd hr, whereas a significant rise was observed at postoperative 24th hr with an intergroup difference favoring the control group (p=0.0307). In the desmopressin group, the activation time of factor VIII shortened during the whole postoperative period being significant (p=0.0127) at postoperative 24th hr. Postoperative von Willebrand factor (vWF) levels of the desmopressin group were significantly higher than the preoperative ones. The control group did not show such important changes in factor VIII and vWF measurements. Platelet aggregation times of both groups prolonged at postoperative 2nd hr. The control group showed significant elevation in ADP induced aggregation time at 2nd hr and significant reductions of platelet activation percentage in response to ADP, epinephrine, collagen and ristocetin at 2nd hr. Postoperative blood loss as well as blood transfusion need did not differ between the two groups.
                Despite the improved platelet functions, desmopressin does not seem to have obvious beneficial effects on postoperative hemostasis in patients without any bleeding disorder and undergoing elective cardiac surgery. Desmopressin (1-deamino-8-D-argininevasopressin, DDAVP) is a synthetic analog of the antidiuretic hormone L-argininevasopressin. DDAVP has been shown to increase the plasma concentration of endothelial factor VIII, thus increasing coagulant activity. There is evidence from controlled clinical trials indicating that DDAVP can reduce blood loss and transfusion requirements for individuals with normal coagulation profiles undergoing various surgical procedures. This study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of the DDAVP in reduction of blood loss during orthognathic surgery. Twenty patients, 15 females and 5 males, undergoing bimaxillary osteotomy were randomized into two groups of ten. Perioperatively, group 1 patients received 20 micrograms of DDAVP infused over one-half hour. Group II patients did not receive DDAVP. Hypotensive anesthesia (mean arterial pressure < 60 mm Hg) was routinely employed for both groups. On average, the blood loss in group I patients was 144 ml less per patient than group II patients (p < 0.50). Only 2 of 10 patients in group I lost in excess of 750 ml, while 6 to 10 group II patients experienced blood loss greater than 750 ml (p < 0.20). The average postoperative hematocrit for patients in group I dropped by 6.17 of the preoperative mean hematocrit (p < 0.001). The average drop in hematocrits among the group II patients was 11.61 (p < 0.001). When collated, this hematocrit drop of 11.61 for group II and 6.17 for group I (recipients of DDAVP) proved to be significantly different (p < 0.01). It is concluded from this study that patients receiving a standard dose of DDAVP prior to bimaxillary osteotomy would experience reduced intraoperative blood loss, providing that blood pressure is well controlled and fluid replacement is carefully managed. No significant adverse side effects of desmopressin acetate were observed. To determine whether desmopressin acetate (DDAVP) has the ability to reduce blood loss in patients with a known bleeding tendency.
                A randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled study.
                A university teaching hospital.
                Men under the age of 70 years who had taken acetylsalicylic acid within 7 days of scheduled coronary artery bypass surgery. Patients with an abnormal hematologic profile or a history of bleeding or who were receiving heparin or undergoing repeat coronary bypass surgery were excluded. Forty-four patients were randomized with restriction in blocks of 10; 20 received DDAVP and 24 received a placebo.
                Blood loss and blood transfusion requirements.
                Patients treated with DDAVP lost significantly (p < 0.01) less blood than those receiving a placebo (1543 mL versus 2376 mL respectively). Nineteen patients had a blood loss of more than 2000 mL; 15 of these were in the placebo group. Significantly (p < 0.02) fewer patients receiving DDAVP required blood transfusion (9 versus 18).
                DDAVP reduces blood loss during cardiac bypass surgery in patients who have taken acetylsalicylic acid within 7 days before operation. Bleeding in coronary artery bypass procedures increases morbidity and exposes patients to the risks associated with blood transfusion. Desmopressin acetate (DDAVP), a synthetic vasopressin analogue, may limit bleeding during cardiac surgery. In a prospective randomized trial, the authors evaluated the ability of DDAVP to reduce perioperative bleeding during uncomplicated coronary bypass operations. Sixty-two patients who underwent coronary artery bypass grafting were randomized to receive intraoperatively either a placebo or DDAVP. Both groups were similar with respect to operative characteristics and preoperative hematologic profiles, von Willebrand factor levels increased postoperatively in both placebo (2.77 +/- 1.06 versus 2.17 +/- 1.51 U) and DDAVP groups (2.75 +/- 0.94 versus 1.80 +/- 0.88 U). Only the increase in the DDAVP groups was significant (p less than 0.001). There was no difference in total blood loss between the placebo (1826 +/- 849 ml) and DDAVP groups (1716 +/- 688 ml). Total red cell transfusions were similar in placebo (3.4 +/- 1.3 units of blood) and DDAVP groups (3.6 +/- 0.8 units). These results do not support the intraoperative use of DDAVP to reduce perioperative bleeding in routine coronary artery bypass surgery. Use of desmopressin acetate (DDAVP) for patients having cardiac surgery is controversial. We did a double-blind, randomized study of 83 patients having cardiac operations at Georgetown University Hospital. The effect of DDAVP on bleeding as compared to placebo was evaluated by blood loss, replacement volume, and laboratory tests. There were no significant differences in baseline and intraoperative data between the DDAVP (n = 40) and placebo (n = 43) groups. Total drainage for the first 24 postoperative hours was 1,214 mL (+/- 78) for the DDAVP group and 1,386 mL (+/- 116) for the placebo group (not significant). There were no significant differences in replacement therapy. In this study, administration of DDAVP did not decrease bleeding. Patients on cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) have an increased susceptibility to postoperative bleeding. Previous reports using desmopressin acetate (DDAVP) for the prevention of postoperative bleeding have given contradictory results, whereas the protease inhibitor aprotinin has been shown to reduce blood loss after this type of surgery. This randomized study was performed to assess the efficacy of DDAVP versus aprotinin in the prevention of bleeding after CPB.
                One hundred nine of 122 eligible patients were randomized to four different groups: Group A (n = 28) received aprotinin starting with a bolus of 2 x 10(6) KIU followed by a continuous infusion of 0.5 x 10(6) KIU/h until the end of surgery; group B (n = 25) received of DDAVP 0.3 micrograms/kg i.v. on completion of CPB; group C (n = 28) received two doses of DDAVP, the first as in group B and an additional dose 6 hours after surgery; group D (n = 28) received no treatment. There was a marked reduction of postoperative blood loss either at 12 hours (P < .01) or 72 hours (P < .02) in the aprotinin group compared with all other groups, whereas no significant effect was observed in either of the two DDAVP regimens. A significant reduction in the amount of blood used was observed only in the aprotinin group (P < .01). Of the plasma fibrinolytic components assayed, there was a significant reduction of the fibrin degradation product generation in the aprotinin group (P < .001), whereas a significant systemic hyperfibrinolysis was observed in both DDAVP-treated groups and the control group. No side effects related to the study drugs were observed in any patient.
                Aprotinin inhibited fibrinolysis; this correlated with a significant reduction of postoperative blood loss and need for blood replacement after CPB. Neither one nor two doses of DDAVP had a beneficial effect. Aprotinin offers a better alternative than DDAVP in the prevention of bleeding after CPB. In a double blind, placebo controlled study in 50 patients undergoing aorto-iliac graft surgery, we studied the effects of desmopressin given prior to surgery on blood loss and blood transfusion requirements. Desmopressin reduced the number of patients with clinically significant bleeding. Blood loss volumes and transfusion requirements were lower in the desmopressin group, but this could not be verified statistically. Even if our study population has a high incidence of generalised arteriosclerotic disease, there were no clinical manifestations of venous thromboembolism, no increase of graft occlusions and no myocardial infarction during the operative or early postoperative period. Desmopressin may be used in patients with excessive peroperative bleeding or a prolonged preoperative bleeding time. In patients where desmopressin is considered to be haemostatically efficacious, it may be used with a maintained margin of safety.
There is no convincing evidence that desmopressin (DDAVP) minimises peri-operative allogeneic RBC transfusion in patients who do not have congenital bleeding disorders. Although the data suggest that there is some benefit of using DDAVP as a means of reducing peri-operative blood loss the observed reductions were small and generally not clinically important. Based on the currently available evidence, the use of DDAVP to reduce peri-operative blood loss or allogeneic RBC transfusion cannot be supported.