Related Experiment Video

Updated: Sep 19, 2025

The WATCHMAN Left Atrial Appendage Closure Device for Atrial Fibrillation
23:33

The WATCHMAN Left Atrial Appendage Closure Device for Atrial Fibrillation

Published on: February 28, 2012

83.9K

Efficacy and Safety of Prothrombin Complex Concentrate Compared to Fresh Frozen Plasma in Cardiac Surgery: A

Muhammad Abdullah Ali1, Abdullah Afridi1, Furqan Ahmad Sethi1

  • 1From the Department of Medicine, Khyber Medical College, Peshawar, Pakistan.

Cardiology in Review
|June 19, 2025
PubMed

Insights

Prothrombin complex concentrate (PCC) significantly reduces bleeding and red blood cell transfusions in cardiac surgery patients compared to fresh frozen plasma (FFP). PCC may also reduce acute kidney injury, supporting its selective use for managing bleeding.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Hematology
  • Critical Care Medicine

Background:

  • Coagulopathy and bleeding are frequent complications after cardiac surgery.
  • Hemostatic agents like prothrombin complex concentrate (PCC) and fresh frozen plasma (FFP) are commonly used.
  • Optimal agent selection for managing bleeding in this population remains a key clinical question.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To systematically review and meta-analyze randomized controlled trials comparing PCC and FFP in adult cardiac surgery patients.
  • To evaluate the efficacy and safety of PCC versus FFP in managing post-operative bleeding and coagulopathy.
  • To assess the impact on transfusion requirements, clinical outcomes, and adverse events.

Main Methods:

  • A comprehensive literature search was performed across PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science up to March 30, 2025.
  • Included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing PCC and FFP in adult cardiac surgery patients with bleeding or coagulopathy.
  • Analyzed data from 4 RCTs involving 671 patients (PCC: 343; FFP: 328) focusing on primary and secondary outcomes.

Main Results:

  • PCC significantly reduced chest tube output (mean difference = -162.12 mL, P = 0.002) and red blood cell (RBC) transfusion requirements (number of units and proportion of patients, P < 0.0001).
  • No significant differences were observed in ICU/hospital length of stay, thromboembolic events, stroke/TIA, or 30-day mortality between groups.
  • Sensitivity analysis indicated a potential benefit of PCC in reducing acute kidney injury.

Conclusions:

  • Prothrombin complex concentrate demonstrates superior efficacy in reducing blood loss and transfusion needs compared to fresh frozen plasma in cardiac surgery.
  • The safety profiles are comparable regarding major adverse events like thromboembolism and mortality.
  • Findings support the selective administration of PCC for effective bleeding management in adult cardiac surgery patients.

Keywords:
cardiac surgeryfresh frozen plasmameta-analysisprothrombin complex concentrate

More Related Videos

Prehospital Thrombolysis: A Manual from Berlin05:52

Prehospital Thrombolysis: A Manual from Berlin

Published on: November 26, 2013

22.0K
Testing the Efficacy of Pharmacological Agents in a Pericardial Target Delivery Model in the Swine10:05

Testing the Efficacy of Pharmacological Agents in a Pericardial Target Delivery Model in the Swine

Published on: July 7, 2016

8.4K

Related Concept Videos

Venous Thrombosis III: Interprofessional Care01:29

Venous Thrombosis III: Interprofessional Care

Venous thrombosis requires effective prevention and treatment strategies to improve patient outcomes and reduce potential complications.Prevention StrategiesHealthcare providers must prioritize preventing venous thromboembolism (VTE) for all adult patients upon admission. Interventions depend on bleeding and thrombosis risk, medical history, current medications, diagnoses, planned procedures, and patient preferences. Patients on bed rest should change positions every two hours and, if not...
28
Anticoagulant Drugs: Low-Molecular-Weight Heparins01:30

Anticoagulant Drugs: Low-Molecular-Weight Heparins

Hemostasis is a crucial process that prevents excessive blood loss from damaged blood vessels. It involves various mechanisms such as vasoconstriction, platelet adhesion and activation, and fibrin formation. The importance of each mechanism depends on the type of vessel injury. In contrast, thrombosis is the abnormal formation of a blood clot within the blood vessels, leading to potential complications if the clot obstructs blood flow. Thrombosis can be caused by increased coagulability of the...
924
Pulmonary Embolism II: Diagnostic Studies and Interprofessional Care01:29

Pulmonary Embolism II: Diagnostic Studies and Interprofessional Care

Diagnosing Pulmonary EmbolismDiagnosing pulmonary embolism (PE) involves clinical assessment and advanced imaging tests. The preferred diagnostic tool is the spiral (helical) CT scan or CT angiography (CTA), which uses intravenous contrast media to visualize the pulmonary vasculature and identify emboli.A ventilation-perfusion (V/Q) scan is an alternative for patients unable to receive contrast media. This scan includes both perfusion and ventilation scanning. Perfusion scanning involves...
48
Cardiac Catheterization I: Pre-Procedure Overview01:28

Cardiac Catheterization I: Pre-Procedure Overview

Cardiac catheterization is an invasive diagnostic technique used to identify and evaluate structural and functional diseases of the heart and major blood vessels. This technique diagnoses congenital heart disease, coronary artery disease, valvular heart disease, and coronary spasms and assesses ventricular function. It helps guide treatment decisions, including the need for revascularization procedures like percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) or coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) and...
178