Studies document widespread, risky use clotting drug on non-hemophilia patients

Monday, April 18, 2011 - 17:00 in Health & Medicine

In fact, the studies estimate that only 4 percent of the powerful drug's use in U.S. hospitals from 2000 through 2008 was for treating hemophilia patients, while an enormous 96 percent involved cases of heart surgery, trauma, intracranial hemorrhages (bleeding in or near the brain) and a host of other surgical and medical problems. There are few studies examining these broader uses of the drug, known as recombinant factor 7a, and what little evidence does exist reveals a serious problem: The drug can increase the risk of blood clots, which can lead to heart attacks and strokes.

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