Conditions: End Stage Renal Disease
Keywords: Hemodialysis Anticoagulation Xigris PTT
Allocation: NA | Intervention model: SINGLE_GROUP
Enrollment: 12
Healthy volunteers: no

Brief summary:
The purpose of the study is to assess the safety of Xigris (Drotrecogin alfa) as an anticoagulant at different dose levels during dialysis treatment in patients with End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD).

Detailed description:
In United States, there are over 300,000 patients with ESRD who require hemodialysis. Clinical hemodialysis takes place three times a week and is dependent on adequate anticoagulation throughout the three to four hour procedure. Infection is one of the most common causes of death for patients with ESRD treated with hemodialysis (25%).

Xigris (drotrecogin alfa activated) is a recombinant form of human activated protein C and is successfully used for treatment of adult patients with severe sepsis. In addition to its fibrinolytic properties, drotrecogin alpha has both an anti-inflammatory effect, and an anti-coagulant effect. However, there are few safety and no efficacy data on the effect of Xigris in ESRD patients as an anticoagulant.

Arms:
arm 1: Drotrecogin alfa activated (Xigris) used as anticoagulant in patients treated with hemodialysis.

Interventions: intervention 1: Drotrecogin alfa activated (Xigris)
Intervention descriptions: intervention 1: We will test different dose regimens of Drotrecogin alfa activated (Xigris) to determine the optimal dose to achieve PTT between 65 and 100 secs. The initial patients will receive Xigris dosed at an infusion rate of 12 mcg/kg/h via pre-filter arterial drip chamber via a standard IV pump. The PTT will be assessed at baseline,15,30,60,120 and 180 mins. Xigris dose will be adjusted in the following patients if the afferent PTT rises above 100 secs (normal range 25-40 secs) or if PTT remains \<65 secs. If PTT remains less than 65 secs, the dose will be increased to the second dose regiment of 18 mcg/kg/hr. The dose escalation will continue in increments of 6 mcg/kg/h to a maximum dose of 36 mcg/kg/h. Each patient will receive Xigris only once.

Protocol document: