Benefit/risk profile of high-dose antithrombin in patients with severe sepsis treated with and without concomitant heparin.

A randomised, prospective, placebo-controlled phase III multicentre clinical trial (KyberSept) has been performed to test the efficacy of high-dose antithrombin therapy in patients with severe sepsis. Concomitant low-dose heparin has been routinely given in two thirds of patients for deep vein thrombosis prophylaxis. This study analyses heparin - antithrombin interactions in terms of long-term mortality, adverse events, and thromboembolic events.

High-dose antithrombin III in the treatment of severe sepsis in patients with a high risk of death: efficacy and safety.

Objective: To explore if patients with severe sepsis and with a predicted high risk of death (according to the Simplified Acute Physiology Score II) might have a treatment benefit from high-dose antithrombin III.

Design: Subgroup analysis of a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, prospective phase III study.

Setting: Unifactorial and multifactorial reanalysis of prospectively defined populations from the KyberSept trial.

Hereditary and acquired angioedema: problems and progress: proceedings of the third C1 esterase inhibitor deficiency workshop and beyond.

Hereditary angioedema (HAE), a rare but life-threatening condition, manifests as acute attacks of facial, laryngeal, genital, or peripheral swelling or abdominal pain secondary to intra-abdominal edema. Resulting from mutations affecting C1 esterase inhibitor (C1-INH), inhibitor of the first complement system component, attacks are not histamine-mediated and do not respond to antihistamines or corticosteroids. Low awareness and resemblance to other disorders often delay diagnosis; despite availability of C1-INH replacement in some countries, no approved, safe acute attack therapy exists in the United States.