Transfusion Alternatives in Transfusion Medicine 2008;10:39–41

Successful outcome of using recombinant activated factor VII in the management of severe bleeding due to placental abruption in a patient with anti-C and anti-e alloantibodies

FARZAL ANWAR*, MD, MOHAMED ABDELAAL*, MD, FAYEZ NASRALLAH†, MD & ABDULRAHMAN EL-GUINDY‡, MD
*Pathology and Laboratory Medicine;†Obstetrics and Gynecology; ‡Anesthesiology, King Abdulaziz Medical City, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

Exerpt from concluding paragraph:
"Considering the fact that rFVIIa can be effective in cases of life-threatening bleeding when all other therapies have failed, the apparent low incidence of thrombotic adverse effects seems justifiably acceptable. Our case presents a unique scenario and we believe that rFVIIa can be life-saving in patients with severe gynecological hemorrhage when compatible blood is unavailable or scarce. Early use of rFVIIa in PPH may reduce bleeding-related mortality and transfusion-related morbidity. As a concluding remark, we suggest that a strong communication between the patient’s physician and the hematologist or the transfusion service physician (for institutions where rFVIIa is available through the transfusion service) is key to judicious and purposeful use of rFVIIa."