Use of Recombinant Activated Factor VIIa for Nonsurgical, Refractory Bleeding in Neonatal Cardiac Surgery Patients: Case Series

Abstract

Bleeding in the early postopearative period and surgical re-exploration are important complications of open cardiac surgery.1 Guzzetta et al2 have elegantly reviewed the current literature on the off-label use of recombinant activated factor VIIa (rFVIIa) in pediatric cardiac surgery, highlighting the lack of sufficient data to make evidence-based recommendations for the use of rFVIIa in this setting. Unfortunately, there is an even greater lack of evidence regarding the use of rFVIIa during cardiac surgery in newborns.