Patient with congenital factor VII deficiency undergoing brain tumor neurosurgery successfully treated with recombinant factor VIIa and fresh frozen plasma: A case report and literature review

RATIONALE

Congenital factor VII deficiency is the most common among rare bleeding disorders, characterized by spontaneous or traumatic bleeding. The clinical manifestation is heterogeneous, ranging from asymptomatic phenotype to life-threatening hemorrhages. Intracranial hemorrhage is a common complication of brain tumor neurosurgery, which significantly challenges the perioperative management of patients with hemostatic defects.

PATIENT CONCERNS

This report presented a 55-year-old man with congenital factor VII deficiency, who had no history of hemorrhage or family history. He underwent a craniotomy for the treatment of papillary craniopharyngioma.

DIAGNOSES

The patient was diagnosed as papillary craniopharyngioma, factor VII deficiency, and atrial fibrillation.

INTERVENTIONS

To prevent bleeding, a total of 8 doses of recombinant activated factor VII and 1 dose of fresh frozen plasma were administered as the perioperative replacement therapy. This scheme was guided by a pharmacodynamic evaluation, laboratory tests, and imaging examinations.

OUTCOMES

No excessive surgical bleeding was observed during the 22-day treatment. The patient was found to have compound heterozygous mutations, Ala304Thr (c.910G > A) and IVS5-2A > G (c.572-2A > G), in the F7 gene.

LESSONS

This is the first reported case in which surgical hemorrhage secondary to brain tumor resection was successfully controlled in the presence of congenital factor VII deficiency. Perioperative coagulation state, hemostasis, and thrombosis events should be closely observed, and the interval and dosage of recombinant factor VIIa should be adjusted accordingly.

Successful Off-Label Use of Recombinant Factor VIIa and Coil Embolization in an Adolescent with Massive Hemoptysis Due to Invasive Pulmonary Aspergillosis

Invasive fungal infections have turned out to be a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in pediatric patients with malignant disorders. Massive hemoptysis, a rare complication of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis, may threaten the lives of patients, usually during the resolution of neutropenia. In this report, we describe a patient with massive hemoptysis due to invasive pulmonary aspergillosis whose bleeding was controlled successfully with off-label use of recombinant factor VIIa and subsequent coil embolization of the right pulmonary artery.

Management of dabigatran-induced bleeding: expert statement

The interdisciplinary group of experts has compiled a clinical guidance for manifest dabigatran-induced haemorrhage and envisaged invasive interventions on patients under dabigatran. It recommends an escalation of treatment measures as summarized in a pocket guide (see electronic supplementary material online and insert in the print issue).

Recombinant factor VIIa analog NN1731 (V158D/E296V/M298Q-FVIIa) enhances fibrin formation, structure and stability in lipidated hemophilic plasma

INTRODUCTION

The bypassing agent recombinant factor VIIa (rFVIIa) is efficacious in treating bleeding in hemophilia patients with inhibitors. Efforts have focused on the rational engineering of rFVIIa variants with increased hemostatic potential. One rFVIIa analog (V158D/E296V/M298Q-FVIIa, NN1731) improves thrombin generation and clotting in purified systems, whole blood from hemophilic patients and factor VIII-deficient mice.

METHODS

We used calibrated automated thrombography and plasma clotting assays to compare effects of bypassing agents (rFVIIa, NN1731) on hemophilic clot formation, structure, and ability to resist fibrinolysis.

RESULTS

Both rFVIIa and NN1731 shortened the clotting onset and increased the maximum rate of fibrin formation and fibrin network density in hemophilic plasma clots. In the presence of tissue plasminogen activator, both rFVIIa and NN1731 shortened the time to peak turbidity (TTPeak(tPA)) and increased the area under the clot formation curve (AUC(tPA)). Phospholipids increased both rFVIIa and NN1731 activity in a lipid concentration-dependent manner. Estimated geometric mean concentrations of rFVIIa and NN1731 producing similar onset, rate, TTPeak(tPA), and AUC(tPA) as seen with 100% factors VIII and IX were: 24.5, 74.3, 29.7, and 37.1 nM rFVIIa, and 8.6, 31.2, 9.0, and 11.3 nM NN1731, respectively. In each case, the NN1731 concentration was significantly lower than rFVIIa.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings suggest that like rFVIIa, NN1731 improves the formation, structure, and stability of hemophilic clots. Higher lipid concentrations may facilitate assessment of both rFVIIa and NN1731 activity. NN1731 appears likely to support rapid clot formation in tissues with high endogenous fibrinolytic activity.

Off-label recombinant factor VIIa use and thrombosis in children: a multi-center cohort study

OBJECTIVE

To describe the off-label use of recombinant factor VIIa (rFVIIa) in tertiary care pediatric hospitals across the United States and to assess thrombotic events.

STUDY DESIGN

A retrospective multi-center cohort study using the Pediatric Health Information System administrative database. Children 18 years of age or younger who received rFVIIa between 2000 and 2007 were included. A label admission was defined as an admission with an International Classification of Diseases diagnostic code for hemophilia or factor VII deficiency; admissions without these codes were classified as off-label.

RESULTS

There were 4942 rFVIIa admissions, representing 3764 individual subjects; 74% (3655) of the admissions were off-label. There was a 10-fold increase in the annual rate of off-label admissions from 2000 to 2007 (from 2 to 20.8 per 10 000 hospital admissions, P < .001). The mortality rate in the off-label group was 34% (1258/3655). Thrombotic events occurred in 10.9% (399/3655) of the off-label admissions.

CONCLUSIONS

The off-label use of rFVIIa in hospitalized children is increasing rapidly despite the absence of adequate clinical trials demonstrating safety and efficacy. Thrombotic events are common and mortality is high among patients receiving off-label rFVIIa. Further studies are warranted to determine whether these adverse events are attributable to rFVIIa.

Influence of cardiopulmonary bypass on the interaction of recombinant factor VIIa with activated platelets

Recombinant factor VIIa (rFVIIa) interacts preferentially with coated platelets characterized by a high exposure of phosphatidyl serine (PS), FV, FVIII, FIX, and FX binding, and fibrinogen. Cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) is known to impair platelet function. In this study, the influence of CPB on formation of coated platelets and the interaction of rFVIIa with the platelets were studied. Blood was either exposed to a closed CPB circuit or obtained from patients undergoing CPB-assisted cardiac surgery, and platelets were analyzed by flow cytometry with and without dual agonist stimulation with thrombin and a GPVI collagen receptor agonist known to induce coated platelet formation. Platelets circulated within a closed CPB circuit did not spontaneously form coated platelets. Dual agonists stimulation caused formation of coated platelets at a reduced level compared to pre-CPB level (51 +/- 21% vs. 80 +/- 17% before CPB, p < .001). The rFVIIa interaction with the coated platelets was not impaired after CPB. Platelets isolated from patients undergoing CPB-assisted cardiac surgery also formed coated platelets only after dual agonist stimulation but to the same level as before surgery (76 +/- 8% vs. 83 +/- 14% before surgery, p = .17, n = 10). rFVIIa interaction with the coated platelets was not impaired after surgery. No spontaneous rFVIIa-binding platelets were found. The data indicate that CPB exposure in vivo does not compromise the platelet-dependent effects of rFVIIa either by spontaneous formation of coated platelets, thereby limiting the risk of systemic coagulation, or by impairing rFVIIa interaction with the agonist-induced coated platelets, thereby retaining the hemostatic potential of rFVIIa after CPB.

Use of recombinant factor VIIa (NovoSeven) in pediatric cardiac surgery

Significant post-operative bleeding can be encountered in a small population of pediatric surgical patients requiring cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). Recombinant factor VIIa (NovoSeven) has been advocated as a possible off-label rescue therapy for these individuals when conventional blood component therapy alone is inadequate. This study retrospectively evaluates rFVIIa administration for the treatment of severe bleeding in pediatric patients immediately after cardiac surgical procedures requiring CPB. The records of 15 patients receiving rFVIIa for excessive rates of bleeding refractory to conventional blood component therapy were studied. Blood product utilization, rates of blood loss, and evidence of pathologic sequelae were compared with matched historical controls in retrospective fashion. NovoSeven doses ranged from 76 to 282 microg/kg (group 1 < 30 kg) and 26 to 956 microg/kg (group 2 > 30 kg). Blood product administration patterns were not significantly different (p > .05) in the intensive care unit (ICU) between patient groups receiving rFVIIa and those not treated. Bleeding rates (mL/kg/h) for the first 2 hours after admission to the ICU remained statistically unchanged but were significantly increased for those time periods > 3 hours in patients < 30 kg treated with NovoSeven. Patients > 30 kg did not exhibit statistical differences in the rate of bleeding or the administration of blood products compared with matched controls. A significant reduction in prothrombin time (p = .001) and partial thromboplastin time (p = .02) was noted in patients < 30 kg receiving rFVIIa. There were no pathologic sequelae directly attributed to the administration of rFVIIa in any patients treated. Trends in the improvement of bleeding disturbances were noted in the ICU in patients < 30 kg treated with rFVIIa, subsequent to blood component therapy. The rate of bleeding (mL/kg/h) was improved in patients < 30 kg for the first 2 hours in the ICU. For individuals > 30 kg, there was no apparent benefit from the administration of rFVIIa.

Characteristics of uncontrolled hemorrhage in cardiac surgery

Patients with uncontrolled hemorrhage require massive transfusion therapy and consume a large fraction of blood bank resources. Institutional guidelines have been established for treatment, but early identification and prevention in susceptible patients remains challenging. Uncontrolled hemorrhage was defined as meeting institutional guidelines for recombinant FVIIa administration. Patients who received rFVIIa were compared with patients who did not require the therapy but who were operated on during the same time period. After institutional review board approval, demographic, operative, and transfusion data were analyzed from a prospective database. Patients receiving rFVIIa were more likely to undergo multiple procedures (2.6 +/- 0.8 vs. 1.8 +/- 0.8; p < .001); aortic surgery (59% vs. 11%; p < .005); have a higher Cleveland Clinic Clinical Severity score (7.8 +/- 2.7 vs. 5.5 +/- 4.0; p < .005); require longer bypass (265 +/- 92 min vs. 159 +/- 63 min; p < .001), cross-clamp (182 +/- 68 min vs. 112 +/- 56 min; p < .001), and circulatory arrest (15 +/- 24 min vs. 2 +/- 7 min; p < .05) times; and require more autotransfusion (2580 +/- 1847 mL vs. 690 +/- 380 mL; p < .05). Uncontrolled hemorrhage is associated with more complex surgery requiring longer bypass times and more autotransfusion.

Dose titration of recombinant factor VIIa using thromboelastograph monitoring in a child with hemophilia and high titer inhibitors to factor VIII: a case report and brief review

The administration of recombinant factor VIIa (rFVIIa) is complicated by a wide inter-subject variation in response, a short half-life, evolving indications for use, and the absence of a test that has been shown to correlate with clinical effect. This report describes a method used to titrate rFVIIa to thromboelastography (TEG) parameters in a difficult to manage hemophilic patient with high titer inhibition to factor VIII. The current concepts of monitoring rFVIla administration in hemophiliacs and uncontrolled hemorrhage in cardiac surgery are briefly reviewed.