Prospective Randomized Pilot Study Comparing Bivalirudin Versus Heparin in Neonatal and Pediatric Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation.
To test feasibility of a randomized controlled trial (RCT) with an endpoint of time at goal anticoagulation in children on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) randomized to receive bivalirudin vs. unfractionated heparin.
Open-label pilot RCT (NCT03318393) carried out 2018-2021.
Single-center quaternary U.S. pediatric hospital.
Children 0 days to younger than 18 years old supported with ECMO in the PICU or cardiovascular ICU.
Randomization to bivalirudin vs. unfractionated heparin while on ECMO.
Sixteen patients were randomized to bivalirudin, and 14 patients were randomized to heparin. There was no difference in the primary outcome, time spent at goal anticoagulation, for patients randomized to bivalirudin compared with those randomized to heparin. While hemorrhagic complications were similar between study groups, thrombotic complications were higher with six of 16 patients in the bivalirudin group having one or more circuit changes compared with 0 of 14 patients in heparin group (mean difference, 37.5% [95% CI, 8.7-61.4%]; p = 0.02). Patients in the bivalirudin group received less packed RBC transfusions vs. those receiving heparin (median [interquartile range], 6.3 mL/kg/d [2.5-8.4 mL/kg/d] vs. 12.2 mL/kg/d [5.5-14.5 mL/kg/d]; p = 0.02).
In this single-center pilot RCT carried out 2018-2021, we found that the test of anticoagulation therapy of bivalirudin vs. heparin during ECMO was feasible. Larger multicenter studies are required to further assess the safety and efficacy of bivalirudin for pediatric ECMO.
McMichael A
,Weller J
,Li X
,Hatton L
,Zia A
,Raman L
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《Pediatric Critical Care Medicine》
Bivalirudin anticoagulation for an infant with heparin resistance on ECMO: A case report.
Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) technology in the field of intense care for children in China has developed rapidly, and it has become a key strategy for the rescue treatment of critically ill children and an advanced extracorporeal life support system. Compared with adults and children, neonatal respiratory disease with ECMO support has the best prognosis, with an average survival rate of 74%. Bleeding and thrombotic events during ECMO are common, morbid, and potentially lethal. Therefore, how to balance the coagulation state is the key to ECMO management.
A full-term male infant (2h 5min) was hospitalized for respiratory distress and cyanosis. With a history of premature rupture of membranes (>7 hours) and a birth weight of 3000 g, the patient had Apgar scores of 7, 8, and 9 at 1, 5, and 10 minutes, respectively.
This infant has the indication of extracorporeal membrane lung support. After full communication, venoarterial-ECMO was performed, and intravenous infusion of heparin was used for anticoagulation management.
We encountered an unreliable heparin monitoring in an infant on ECMO, which considered as heparin resistance. Subsequently, we switched the anticoagulant from heparin to bivalirudin and managed by using multiple laboratory tests including activated clotting time (ACT) and activated partial thromboplastin time. The phenomenon of inconsistent monitoring results occurred later. To help the clinic to adjust the anticoagulation dose accurately, we adopted additional tests such as thrombin-antithrombin complex (TAT) and fibrin/fibrinogen degradation products and applied comparison of thrombela stogram (TEG)-ACT with anticoagulated specimens and bedside non-anticoagulated ACT, then recommended clinicians to use activated partial thromboplastin time combined with TAT.
In collaboration with other symptomatic supportive treatments, the ECMO flow was gradually reduced, the respiratory and circulatory functions were stable after reducing the flow rate, there was no bleeding tendency, and the ECMO was finally evacuated.
Due to the unique physiological characteristics of newborns, the hemostatic changes differ significantly from those in adults. Precise monitoring of anticoagulation becomes a critical and challenging task. Bivalirudin can be effectively used for anticoagulation management in neonatal ECMO; however, due to its unique characteristics, precise dose adjustment poses a challenge. Selecting the optimal laboratory monitoring indicators is crucial in this regard. In some cases, bedside ACT may not be the optimal anticoagulation monitoring parameter, and when necessary, comparative analysis can be conducted using anticoagulant-sample ACTs such as thrombela stogram-ACT. Traditional markers such as D-dimer/fibrinogen degradation products and newer indicators like TAT can reflect the activation of coagulation and assist in monitoring the anticoagulation effect, especially when there is conflicting information among the monitoring parameters.
Guo S
,Chen L
,Shi J
,Zhang G
... -
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Bivalirudin versus heparin in patients with or without bail-out GPI use: a pre-specified subgroup analysis from the BRIGHT-4 trial.
Conflicting results comparing bivalirudin versus heparin anticoagulation in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), in part due to the confounding effect of glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors (GPI). The aim of the study was to compare the safety and effectiveness of bivalirudin plus a post-PCI high-dose infusion vs heparin with or without bail-out GPI use.
We conducted a pre-specified subgroup analysis from the BRIGHT-4 trial that randomized 6016 STEMI patients who underwent primary PCI to receive either bivalirudin plus a post-PCI high-dose infusion for 2-4 h or heparin monotherapy. GPI use was only reserved as bail-out therapy for procedural thrombotic complications. The primary outcome was a composite of all-cause death or Bleeding Academic Research Consortium (BARC) types 3-5 bleeding at 30 days.
A total of 5250 (87.4%) patients received treatment without GPI while 758 (12.6%) received bail-out GPI. Bail-out GPI use was associated with an increased risk of the primary outcome compared to non-GPI use (5.28% vs. 3.41%; adjusted hazard ratio (aHR), 1.62; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.13-2.33; P = 0.009) and all-cause death (5.01% vs. 3.12%; aHR, 1.74; 95% CI, 1.20-2.52; P = 0.004) but not in the risk of BARC types 3-5 bleeding (0.53% vs. 0.48%; aHR, 0.90; 95% CI, 0.31-2.66; P = 0.85). Among patients without GPI use, bivalirudin was associated with lower rates of the primary outcome (2.63% vs. 4.21%; aHR, 0.55; 95% CI, 0.39-0.77; P = 0.0005), all-cause death (2.52% vs. 3.74%; aHR, 0.58; 95% CI, 0.41-0.83; P = 0.003), and BARC types 3-5 bleeding (0.15% vs. 0.81%; aHR, 0.19; 95% CI, 0.06-0.57; P = 0.003) compared with heparin. However, among patients requiring bail-out GPI, there were no significant differences observed in the rates of the primary outcome (5.76% vs. 4.87%; aHR, 0.77; 95% CI, 0.36-1.66; P = 0.50; Pinteraction = 0.07) or its individual components between bivalirudin and heparin groups.
Bivalirudin plus a post-PCI high-dose infusion was associated with significantly reduced 30-day composite rate of all-cause death or BARC types 3-5 bleeding compared with heparin monotherapy in STEMI patients undergoing primary PCI without GPI use. However, these benefits might be less pronounced in patients requiring bail-out GPI due to thrombotic complications during primary PCI.
ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03822975.
Liao J
,Qiu M
,Feng X
,Chen K
,Zhang D
,Zou Y
,Zheng X
,Zhao G
,Tian N
,Zheng Z
,Peng X
,Yang Q
,Liang Z
,Li Y
,Han Y
,Stone GW
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《BMC Medicine》
Bleeding Complications between Bivalirudin and Heparin for Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation in Neonates with Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia.
Neonates with congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) who undergo repair while on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) are at risk of developing post-operative bleeding complications. Balanced anticoagulation is critical to maintain ECMO flow and avoid bleeding. Heparin has historically been our first-line anticoagulant; however, recently, we transitioned to bivalirudin, a direct thrombin inhibitor. The objective of this pilot study was to compare post-operative surgical bleeding complications between the two groups.
We performed a single center retrospective cohort study of patients who underwent CDH repair while on ECMO between 2008 and 2023. Neonates were stratified based on the type of anticoagulant initiated after CDH repair. Outcomes included bleeding requiring surgical re-operation, intracranial hemorrhage, volume of blood products transfused, number of circuit changes, days on ECMO, and overall survival.
Among 62 neonates with CDH who underwent repair on ECMO, 44 (71%) were managed post-CDH repair with heparin and 18 (29%) with bivalirudin. One (5.6%) neonate managed with bivalirudin underwent re-operation following CDH repair for a bleeding complication compared to 17 (38.6%) managed with heparin (p = 0.022). In addition, the bivalirudin cohort utilized half of the total blood product volume compared to the heparin cohort (p = 0.020). Despite these benefits, there were no significant differences between groups for incidence of intracranial hemorrhage, number of circuit changes, days on ECMO, and overall survival.
Anticoagulation with bivalirudin in neonates who underwent CDH repair while on ECMO was associated with decreased surgical bleeding complications and less total blood product transfused. This pilot analysis is the first to compare heparin to bivalirudin and stresses the importance of a multicenter study.
Credille C
,Eason CR
,Evans LL
,Bothwell S
,Gien J
,Vaughn AE
,Kinsella JP
,Varma P
,Liechty KW
,Derderian SC
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