DDAVP in the treatment of bleeding disorders

Hemophilia A and von Willebrand's disease are hereditary disorders associated with qualitative and quantitative abnormalities of clotting factor VIII. A major clinical feature is excessive or abnormal bleeding often necessitating the use of transfusions of pooled blood products to achieve hemostasis. Exposure to blood products places the recipient at risk for infection by the hepatitis B virus or the human immunodeficiency virus. A synthetic analog of arginine vasopressin, 1-desamino-8-D-arginine vasopressin, has been shown to increase the plasma levels of factor VIII coagulant activity and von Willebrand's factor, and clinically to improve abnormal bleeding, obviating the need to use blood products.