New York, 25 May 2007 – Contrary to recent studies, proper use of a drug called aprotinin to reduce bleeding during heart surgery does not increase the risk of heart attack or stroke, according to a study in the June issue of The Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery."Our study is important because it shows that if aprotinin is used selectively and a drug/lab test interaction is avoided, the drug does not hurt patients’ hearts or brains while reducing their need for blood transfusions and reoperations for bleeding,” said C. Michael White, Pharm.D., of Hartford Hospital in Hartford, Conn., one of the study authors.
