Effectiveness of bivalirudin as a replacement for heparin during cardiopulmonary bypass in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting.

We investigated the use of bivalirudin as an anticoagulant therapy during cardiopulmonary bypass in 20 patients who underwent coronary artery bypass grafting. Primary end points consisted of clinical outcome data, whereas secondary end points focused on blood loss, transfusions, pharmacokinetics, and monitoring. Our data provide the first evidence of clinical feasibility of anticoagulation with bivalirudin during cardiopulmonary bypass.