Objective: To determine whether desmopressin acetate (DDAVP) has the ability to reduce blood loss in patients with a known bleeding tendency.
Design: A randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled study.
Setting: A university teaching hospital.
Patients: Men under the age of 70 years who had taken acetylsalicylic acid within 7 days of scheduled coronary artery bypass surgery. Patients with an abnormal hematologic profile or a history of bleeding or who were receiving heparin or undergoing repeat coronary bypass surgery were excluded. Forty-four patients were randomized with restriction in blocks of 10; 20 received DDAVP and 24 received a placebo.
Main outcome measures: Blood loss and blood transfusion requirements.
Results: Patients treated with DDAVP lost significantly (p < 0.01) less blood than those receiving a placebo (1543 mL versus 2376 mL respectively). Nineteen patients had a blood loss of more than 2000 mL; 15 of these were in the placebo group. Significantly (p < 0.02) fewer patients receiving DDAVP required blood transfusion (9 versus 18).
Conclusions: DDAVP reduces blood loss during cardiac bypass surgery in patients who have taken acetylsalicylic acid within 7 days before operation.