Reduction of per- and postoperative blood loss with aprotinin (Trasylol) during extracorporeal circulation]

Aprotinin is a pharmacological agent which, when given in high doses during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB), seems to reduce postoperative blood loss significantly and thereby reduces the need for blood transfusion. This study was undertaken to confirm these claims and to show that there was also decreased peroperative bleeding and a shorter operation time. The immediate postoperative clinical course was also assessed. The study was a prospective, randomised double-blind trial versus placebo in 60 coronary patients undergoing at least 2 aorto-coronary bypass grafts for the first time within a 3 month period. During surgery after stopping the CPB the blood loss recorded by aspiration was 49 +/- 61 ml in the aprotinin group and 90 +/- 84 ml in the placebo group (p less than 0.05). The quality of haemostasis in the operated area evaluated independently by the anaesthetist was judged to be excellent in 30 patients in the aprotinin group compared with only 19 in the placebo group (p less than 0.001). The time between coming off CPB and skin closure was significantly shorter in the aprotinin group (42 +/- 10 min versus 49 +/- 12 min) and the dose of protamine injected at the end of the operation was 19 +/- 38 mg in the aprotinin group compared to 43 +/- 46 mg in the placebo group (p less than 0.05). The blood loss recorded over 48 hours in the intensive care unit was nearly three times less in the aprotinin group (380 +/- 125 ml) than with placebo (852 +/- 523 ml).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)