Research

Safety of rFVIIa in hemodynamically unstable polytrauma patients with traumatic brain injury: post hoc analysis of 30 patients from a prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind clinical trial

Yoram Kluger¹ , Bruno Riou² , Rolf Rossaint³ , Sandro B Rizoli⁴ , Kenneth David Boffard⁵ , Philip Iau Tsau Choong⁶ , Brian Warren⁷ and Michael Tillinger⁸

¹Department of Surgery, Rambam Medical Center, POB 9602, Haifa 31096, Israel

²Departments of Emergency Medicine and Surgery and Anesthesiology and Critical Care, Hôpital Pitié Salpêtrière, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Université Pierre et Marie Curie-Paris, Paris, France

³Institute for Anesthesiology, University Clinics, Aachen, Germany

⁴Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada

⁵Department of Surgery, Johannesburg Hospital, Johannesburg, South Africa

⁶National University Hospital, Singapore

⁷Department of Surgery, University of Stellenbosch, Tygerberg, South Africa

⁸Novo Nordisk A/S, Bagsværd, Denmark

author email corresponding author email

Critical Care 2007, 11:R85doi:10.1186/cc6092

Published:	8 August 2007

See related commentary by Dutton, http://ccforum.com/content/11/4/161

Abstract

Background

Trauma is a leading cause of mortality and morbidity, with traumatic brain injury (TBI) and uncontrolled hemorrhage responsible for the majority of these deaths. Recombinant activated factor VIIa (rFVIIa) is being investigated as an adjunctive hemostatic treatment for bleeding refractory to conventional replacement therapy in trauma patients. TBI is a common component of polytrauma injuries. However, the combination of TBI with polytrauma injuries is associated with specific risk factors and treatment modalities somewhat different from those of polytrauma without TBI. Although rFVIIa treatment may offer added potential benefit for patients with combined TBI and polytrauma, its safety in this population has not yet been assessed. We conducted a post hoc sub analysis of patients with TBI and severe blunt polytrauma enrolled into a prospective, international, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study.

Methods

A post hoc analysis of study data was performed for 143 patients with severe blunt trauma enrolled in a prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled study, evaluating the safety and efficacy of intravenous rFVIIa (200 + 100 + 100 μg/kg) or placebo, to identify patients with a computed tomography (CT) diagnosis of TBI. The incidences of ventilator-free days, intensive care unit-free days, and thromboembolic, serious, and adverse events within the 30-day study period were assessed in this cohort.

Results

Thirty polytrauma patients (placebo, n = 13; rFVIIa, n = 17) were identified as having TBI on CT. No significant differences in rates of mortality (placebo, n = 6, 46%, 90% confidence interval (CI): 22% to 71%; rFVIIa, n = 5, 29%, 90% CI: 12% to 56%; P = 0.19), in median numbers of intensive care unit-free days (placebo = 0, rFVIIa = 3; P = 0.26) or ventilator-free days (placebo = 0, rFVIIa = 10; P = 0.19), or in rates of thromboembolic adverse events (placebo, 15%, 90% CI: 3% to 51%; rFVIIa, 0%, 90% CI: 0% to 53%; P = 0.18) or serious adverse events (placebo, 92%, 90% CI: 68% to 98%; rFVIIa, 82%, 90% CI: 60% to 92%; P = 0.61) were observed between treatment groups.

Conclusion

The use of a total dose of 400 (200 + 100 + 100) μg/kg rFVIIa in this group of hemodynamically unstable polytrauma patients with TBI was not associated with an increased risk of mortality or with thromboembolic or adverse events.