Recombinant activated factor VII in paediatric cardiac surgery

Objective. To review the use of recombinant activated factor VII in paediatric cardiac surgery. Design. Retrospective chart review. Setting. Paediatric intensive care unit in a stand-alone university-affiliated children's hospital. Patients and participants. Cardiac surgical patients who received recombinant activated factor VII (rFVIIa, NovoSeven; NovoNordisk, Copenhagen, Denmark) between June 2002 and June 2003 at The Children's Hospital at Westmead. Results. Six children undergoing cardiac surgery received rFVIIa. Recombinant activated factor VII was administered if bleeding was excessive and persisted despite appropriate investigation and attention to haemostasis by surgical and medical staff. An intravenous dose of 180 mug/kg was given and repeated 2 h later. All of the six patients responded well to rFVIIa with achievement of haemostasis. No adverse events were noted. Conclusions. Recombinant activated factor VII achieved haemostasis in six paediatric cardiac surgical patients. Good outcomes and no adverse events were noted in these children.