The effect of ε-aminocaproic acid on blood product requirement, outcome and thromboelastography parameters in severely thrombocytopenic dogs.

Abstract

BACKGROUND: No treatment other than platelet administration is known to protect against spontaneous hemorrhage in thrombocytopenic dogs. OBJECTIVES: Primary: determine if treatment with &#x3b5;-aminocaproic acid (EACA) decreases the requirement for blood transfusions and improves outcome in dogs with severe thrombocytopenia. Secondary: find evidence of hyperfibrinolysis and determine the effect EACA administration on rapid (rTEG) and tissue plasminogen activator-spiked (tPA-rTEG) thromboelastography parameters. ANIMALS: Twenty-seven dogs with severe thrombocytopenia were treated with EACA, and data from an additional 33 were obtained from the hospital database as historical control (HC) cohort. METHODS: Single arm clinical trial with HCs. The EACA group dogs received EACA (100&#x2009;mg/kg IV followed by a constant-rate infusion [CRI] of 400&#x2009;mg/kg/24&#x2009;hours). Thromboelastography before and during EACA infusion, hospitalization days, number of transfusions, and mortality were compared. RESULTS: No difference was found in number of transfusions per dog (median, interquartile range; 1, 0-2.5 vs 0.9, 0-2; P&#x2009;=&#x2009;.5) and hospitalization days (4, 4-6 vs 4.5, 3.75-6; P&#x2009;=&#x2009;.83) between HC and EACA groups, respectively, and no difference in survival was identified by log-rank analysis (P&#x2009;=&#x2009;.15). Maximum amplitude on both rTEG and tPA-rTEG increased after EACA administration (rTEG baseline: 23.6, 9.6-38.9; post-EACA: 27.3, 19.8-43.2; P&#x2009;<&#x2009;.001; tPA-rTEG baseline: 23, 10.9-37.2; post-EACA: 24.7, 16.7-44.8; P&#x2009;<&#x2009;.002). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Although EACA increased clot strength, there was no effect on outcome. Treatment with EACA at this dosage cannot be recommended as a routine treatment but may be considered for dogs with severe ongoing hemorrhage.