Treatment of consumption coagulopathy with antithrombin concentrate in children with acquired antithrombin deficiency--a feasibility pilot study.

UNLABELLED: Consumption coagulopathy is a serious problem in childhood. In addition to treatment of the underlying disease, consumption coagulopathy was previously treated with heparin. Nowadays it is treated by substitution of coagulation factors, especially antithrombin (AT) concentrate, alone or in combination with heparin. In this pilot study we administered AT concentrate (dosage 80 U/kgbw/d), without additional heparin treatment, to 29 children beyond infancy with acquired AT deficiency. Antithrombin, platelet count, fibrinogen, PT, and APTT were assayed before and during the course of AT substitution. These coagulation parameters returned to normal 48 hours after normalisation of the plasma AT level. AT levels normalised within 24 h of initial substitution in all children. Lethal outcome due to the underlying disease was observed in only two children.
CONCLUSION: Data of this pilot study suggest that, concomitantly with the treatment of the underlying disease, consumption coagulopathy in childhood can be managed successfully with early substitution of AT concentrate.