Summary
Gabexate mesilate (GM), a synthetic serine protease inhibitor with a short half-life
time of approx. 80 sec, was applied as the exclusive anticoagulant in small scale
extracorporeal circulation in narcotized dogs and sheep. The animals underwent a veno-venous
bypass. As the blood was drawn out of the femoral vein, GM was infused immediately
into the extracorporeal system. GM was greatly reduced because of its short half-life
time before the blood reentered the animal via a brachial vein. In order to control
the coagulatory state of the blood, the Activated Clotting Time (ACT), Partial Thromboplastine
Time (PTT) and Recalcification Time (RT) were measured in regular intervals. In addition,
a screen pressure test device was used to monitor on line during ECC the tendency
of blood clotting. It was shown that the blood of the extracorporeal system was sufficiently
anticoagulated by an infusion of 0.03 mg/ml/min GM. During two hours ECC, simultaneously
measured ACT - values of the animals only differed up to 10 percent from the native
values. Pilot studies have shown that the results of these model investigations could
be successfully transferred to extracorporeal circulation with membrane oxygenators
and pumps as they are clinically used.
Key words
Gabexate mesilate - Extracorporeal circulation - Screen pressure
