Study Comparing Desirudin With Heparin to Prevent Vein Clots After Heart and Lung Surgery

Summary

A blood clot in the veins, also known as deep venous thrombosis (DVT), is one of the most common complications after surgery. This may result in death if a clot breaks off and travel to the lungs; this is referred to as pulmonary embolism (PE). After heart surgery the incidence of DVT ranges from 20-48% and following lung surgery the incidence is 19-26%. In order to decrease the likelihood of this complication, patients receive by injection a blood thinning medicine. Heparin is the usual medicine used for this purpose following heart and lung surgery. Recently there have been reports that other medicines may be more effective than heparin for this purpose. Also there have been reports that some patients develop antibodies to heparin. When this occurs, this may prevent the heparin from being effective and may even promote the formation of blood clots. Antibodies to heparin may be present more often following heart and lung surgery than other types of surgery. There is a new medicine called desirudin (Iprivask), which may be used instead of heparin to prevent blood clots following heart and lung surgery. Desirudin is currently approved by the FDA to prevent blood clots following hip surgery. The purpose of this study is to compare desirudin with heparin for the prevention of vein clots after heart and lung surgery.

Timeline

Start

2006-05

Primary completion

2008-10

Completion

2008-10

Publications

• Graetz TJ, Tellor BR, Smith JR, Avidan MS. Desirudin: a review of the pharmacology and clinical application for the prevention of deep vein thrombosis. Expert Rev Cardiovasc Ther. 2011 Sep;9(9):1101-9. doi: 10.1586/erc.11.131.
• Avidan MS, Smith JR, Skrupky LP, Hill L, Jacobsohn E, Burnside B, Tymkew H, Eby C, Damiano R, Despotis GJ. The occurrence of antibodies to heparin-platelet factor 4 in cardiac and thoracic surgical patients receiving desirudin or heparin for postoperative venous thrombosis prophylaxis. Thromb Res. 2011 Dec;128(6):524-9. doi: 10.1016/j.thromres.2011.05.025. Epub 2011 Jul 26.

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