CASE REPORTS   Free access

Minerva Anestesiologica 2008 April;74(4):145-8

Copyright © 2008 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

lingua: Inglese

Failure of an Abiomed left ventricular assist device in association with factor VIIa administration

Reade M. C. ¹, Toyoda Y. N. ², Murray H. N. ¹

¹ Department of Critical Care Medicine, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; ² Department of Cardiac Surgery, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA

Factor VIIa might be a useful treatment for coagulopathy and massive hemorrhage following implantation of a mechanical circulatory assist device, but there is a theoretical risk of device thrombosis. To date this complication has not been reported. We describe the first case of clotting of a left ventricular assist device immediately after administration of factor VIIa.