HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Personal Folders Download to citation manager Author home page(s): Stefan Christiansen Christof Schmid Hans H. Scheld Dieter Hammel Permission Requests Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Christiansen, S. Articles by Hammel, D. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Christiansen, S. Articles by Hammel, D.

Ann Thorac Surg 2000;69:61-64
© 2000 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons

---

Original Articles

Preoperative immunoglobulin treatment in patients with Werlhof’s disease undergoing cardiac operation

^a Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Westphalian Wilhelms-University, Münster, Münster, Germany
^b Department of Anesthesiology and Operative Intensive Care Medicine, Westphalian Wilhelms-University, Münster, Münster, Germany
^c Department of Cardiology and Angiology, Westphalian Wilhelms-University, Münster, Münster, Germany

Address reprint requests to Dr Christiansen, Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Westphalian Wilhelms-University, Münster, Albert-Schweitzer-Str 33, 48149 Münster, Germany

Background. Patients with Werlhof’s disease and undergoing a cardiac surgical procedure with cardiopulmonary bypass are at increased risk for bleeding complications. We report the usefulness of preoperative immunoglobulin treatment in selected patients.

Methods. Between May 1995 and July 1998, 10 patients with Werlhof’s disease underwent a cardiac surgical procedure with cardiopulmonary bypass in our department. Five patients with mean platelet counts of less than 80 x 10⁹/L received immunoglobulin therapy preoperatively (group 1). The other 5 patients with mean platelet counts higher than 80 x 10⁹/L were not so treated (group 2).

Results. In group 1, mean platelet count increased from 54 x 10⁹/L 5 days before operation to 112 x 10⁹/L after immunoglobulin treatment (p = 0.018) and did not fall to less than 60 x 10⁹/L postoperatively. Patients in group 1 received 16 units of packed red blood cells and 5 units of platelet concentrate. Patients in group 2 required 24 units of packed red blood cells, 5 units of platelet concentrate, and 23 units of fresh frozen plasma. Only 1 patient (group 2) had a surgical bleeding complication that required reexploration. Mean drainage loss was 1,100 mL in group 1 and 1,210 mL in group 2.

Conclusions. Our data demonstrate that immunoglobulin treatment of patients with Werlhof’s disease and mean platelet counts of less than 80 x 10⁹/L significantly augments platelet counts preoperatively. It may be useful in selected patients.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				S. Christiansen, J. Rotker, N. Roeder, U. R. Jahn, J. Stypmann, H. H. Scheld, and C. Schmid Are patients with Werlhof's disease at increased risk for bleeding complications when undergoing cardiac surgery? Eur. J. Cardiothorac. Surg., September 1, 2000; 18(3): 353 - 356. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]