Common Drug Used During Heart Surgery is Dangerous - Aprotinin (Trasylol) causes Kidney - Heart Attacks and Stokes

January 26th 2006

Common Drug Used During Heart Surgery is Dangerous - Aprotinin (Trasylol) causes Kidney and Heart Problems and Stokes

Trasylol

A commonly used drug during heart surgery could cause serious complications including kidney damage, an increased risk of hear attack, heart failure and stroke. The drug called aprotinin (the brand name is Trasylol), is used to control bleeding on as many as 1 million heart and bypass surgery patients per year.

Aprotinin doubles the risk of kidney damage but also increases the risk of heart attack by 48%. Heart failure risk is also increased by 109% and stroke by 181%. The study looked at 4,400 patients.

There are safer alternatives. In fact the generic alternatives cost a tenth as much as aprotinin and are almost as effective, according to a report in the LA Times. Aprotonin is derived from cow lungs and was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1993.

The research is reported in this issue of the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM). According to that report “the observed association between aprotinin and serious end-organ damage indicates that continued use is not prudent, whereas the less expensive generic medications.”

The medication, according to a report published in the Seattle Times, has caused more than 11,000 patients worldwide “to need kidney dialysis each year”. With safer alternatives, doctors are advised to not use the drug except in unusual circumstances.

Bayer, the manufacturers of the drug claims in a statement that it has not yet analyzed the study, but their own test results were not consistent with the NEJM study. The FDA is reviewing the research and “will make recommendations for best use as soon as possible."