ABSTRACT
A case of heparin resistance and its management during cardiopulmonary bypass is reported. A patient with a history of post-infarct angina and arrhythmias was treated with intravenous heparin infusion for five days prior to myocardial revascularisation surgery. He required 13,500 IU/kg of heparin to increase his activated clotting time to a therapeutic level for safe institution of cardiopulmonary bypass. This phenomenon of heparin resistance was postulated to be due to consumption of circulating antithrombin III as a result of prior heparinisation. Treatment with fresh frozen plasma restored heparin effectiveness.
Intravenous heparin therapy is used in the management of angina and myocardial infarct with increasing frequency in recent years. Those patients who have been on heparin therapy for several days may exhibit resistance to heparin given before cardiopulmonary bypass.
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