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Use of recombinant factor VIIa (rFVIIa) to control intraoperative bleeding in pediatric brain tumor patients.

Heisel M, Nagib M, Madsen L, Alshiekh M, Bendel A

Children's Hospitals and Clinics, Department of Hematology/Oncology, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55404, USA. Margaret.Heisel@childrenshc.org

Surgical bleeding during the resection of brain tumors in children may be related to tumor vascularity, pathology, and location. Despite improvements in neurosurgical technique, neuroanesthesia, and blood product replacement, bleeding can be life-threatening in these surgeries. We report eight pediatric patients in whom recombinant factor VIIa (rFVIIa) was used to control intraoperative bleeding during surgical resection of pediatric brain tumors. rFVIIa should be considered as a method to control intraoperative bleeding that is unresponsive to conventional interventions. Additional studies are needed to determine optimal patient selection and drug dosing, efficacy and safety.

Published 7 October 2004 in Pediatr Blood Cancer, 43(6): 703-5.
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