Factor VII and the brain: time to get this research done!
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Correspondence: Richard P Dutton rdutton@umnet.umaryland.edu
University of Maryland School of Medicine, R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center, University of Maryland Medical System, MA, USA
Critical Care 2007, 11:161 doi:10.1186/cc6097
Published: 31 August 2007Abstract
Traumatic brain injury is the leading killer after trauma, in part because of coagulopathy. Factor VIIa may be a useful therapy in this setting, depending on the relative risk for thromboembolic complications. Kluger and coworkers recently conducted a retrospective review of patients with traumatic brain injury from a previous factor VIIa and trauma trial. It documents an encouragingly low rate of complications, and should provide a strong incentive to conduct a prospective study of factor VIIa in patients with severe traumatic brain injury.