Loading…

How we use recombinant activated Factor VII in patients with haemophilia A or B complicated by inhibitors

The management of bleeds in patients with haemophilia A or B complicated by inhibitors is complex. Recombinant activated Factor VII (rFVIIa; NovoSeven RT) is an established therapy in these patients. To develop a consensus‐based guide on the practical usage of rFVIIa in haemophilia complicated by in...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Internal medicine journal 2012-11, Vol.42 (11), p.1243-1250
Main Authors: Brown, S. A., Barnes, C., Curtin, J., Dunkley, S., Ockelford, P., Phillips, J., Rowell, J., Smith, M., Tran, H.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:The management of bleeds in patients with haemophilia A or B complicated by inhibitors is complex. Recombinant activated Factor VII (rFVIIa; NovoSeven RT) is an established therapy in these patients. To develop a consensus‐based guide on the practical usage of rFVIIa in haemophilia complicated by inhibitors, nine expert haemophilia specialists from Australia and New Zealand developed practice points on the usage of rFVIIa, based on their experience and supported by published data. Practice points were developed for 13 key topics: control of acute bleeding; prophylaxis; surgical prophylaxis; control of breakthrough bleeding during surgery or treatment of acute bleeds; paediatric use; use in elderly; intracranial haemorrhage; immune tolerance induction; difficult bleeds; clinical monitoring of therapy; laboratory monitoring of therapy; concomitant antifibrinolytic medication; practical dosing. Access to home therapy with rFVIIa is important in allowing patients to administer treatment early in bleed management. In adults, 90–120 μg/kg is the favoured starting dose in most settings. Initial dosing using 90–180 μg/kg is recommended for children due to the effect of age on the pharmacokinetics of rFVIIa. In the management of acute bleeds, 2‐hourly dosing is appropriate until bleeding is controlled, with concomitant antifibrinolytic medication unless contraindicated. The practice points provide guidance on the usage of rFVIIa for all clinicians involved in the management of haemophilia complicated by inhibitors.
ISSN:1444-0903
1445-5994
DOI:10.1111/j.1445-5994.2012.02942.x