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Published on: June 2, 2015
Monitoring of hirudin therapy with the Thrombelastograph
1Department of Anesthesiology, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, MSB 5.020, 6431 Fannin Street, Houston, TX 77030, USA. Evan.G.Pivalizza@uth.tmc.edu
Lepirudin is a specific thrombin inhibitor that is used for anticoagulation in patients with heparin-induced thrombocytopenia who are also undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). Monitoring of lepirudin during CPB has been carried out with activated clotting time and ecarin clotting time. Correlation is poor with the former method, whereas ecarin clotting time is not widely available. A patient is described with heparin-induced thrombocytopenia who underwent CPB, where coagulation monitoring was accomplished with the Thrombelastograph. This more widely available method may be useful in such patients.
Lepirudin is a specific thrombin inhibitor that is used for anticoagulation in patients with heparin-induced thrombocytopenia who are also undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). Monitoring of lepirudin during CPB has been carried out with activated clotting time and ecarin clotting time. Correlation is poor with the former method, whereas ecarin clotting time is not widely available. A patient is described with heparin-induced thrombocytopenia who underwent CPB, where coagulation monitoring was accomplished with the Thrombelastograph. This more widely available method may be useful in such patients.
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