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New Guidelines for Anticoagulant Use Issued By 3 Societies

The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS), the Society of Cardiovascular Anesthesiologists (SCA), and the American Society of ExtraCorporeal Technology (AmSECT) have released a new clinical practice guideline regarding anticoagulant use during cardiopulmonary bypass.

Anticoagulation therapy is a crucial component of cardiopulmonary bypass. Until now, practice in this area has varied widely and lacked standardization in regard to medication doses and the optimal dose of anticoagulation used during cardiopulmonary bypass.
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The new guideline, which was published in The Annals of Thoracic Surgery and in 2 other journals, addresses the following:

  • Information on ideal heparin dosing for initiating and maintaining cardiopulmonary bypass
  • Contraindications for heparin use
  • Alternatives to heparin
  • Optimal methods for anticoagulant reversal after cardiopulmonary bypass

“It is our hope that these guidelines will help clinicians practice consistent and safe anticoagulation and that there will be more standardization in practice,” said lead author Linda Shore-Lesserson, MD, of North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset, NY, in a press release. “Surgeons, anesthesiologists, and perfusionists will better appreciate the science behind the practices that they conduct every day.”

—Christina Vogt

Reference:

New clinical practice guideline addresses use of blood thinners during heart surgery [press release]. Chicago, IL. The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. January 19, 2018. http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/687895/?sc=mwhr&xy=10021927. Accessed on January 19, 2018.