Background: The relicensing of aprotinin in Europe and Canada has stimulated discussions on its usefulness in paediatric cardiac surgery.
Objective: To systematically evaluate the available evidence on the efficacy and safety of aprotinin in paediatric cardiac surgery.
Design: Systematic review of all randomised and observational studies comparing aprotinin with tranexamic acid, epsilon aminocaproic acid, placebo or no drug in paediatric cardiac surgery.