Prospective Validation of a Plasma Transfusion Dosing Algorithm in Patients With Chronic Liver Disease

University of Colorado Denver (CU Denver)

Status and phase: Completed; Phase 4

Conditions: Liver Disease

Treatments: Diagnostic Test: Post-Transfusion International Normalized Ratio (INR); Biological: Fresh Frozen Plasma; Diagnostic Test: Pre-Transfusion International Normalized Ratio (INR)

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT02366845

12-0064

Details and patient eligibility

About

This study plans to learn more about transfusion of a human blood component called plasma in patients who have liver problems. Patients are asked to be in this study because they have liver disease and therefore may require the transfusion of plasma.

The dose of plasma required to reach certain blood clotting laboratory targets is usually determined by clinicians. Due to the complexity of the patient's blood clotting disorder, determining the appropriate dose of plasma is very difficult. The investigators have developed a dosing table based on information from other patients with liver disease and the investigators are testing it to see if it is a more accurate dosing tool then clinician chosen dosing of plasma in patients with liver disease who need one or more plasma transfusions

Full description

Clinicians currently transfuse plasma to International Normalized Ratio (INR) targets without an understanding of the dose response characteristics of plasma in bleeding patients with liver disease. Epidemiologic studies show that INR is infrequently corrected to target INR values after clinician chosen plasma transfusion doses in patients with liver disease. Plasma transfusion is frequently given to patients prior to procedures and during active bleeding in this patient population though there are no dosing guidelines to aid clinicians in reaching INR targets in patients with liver disease. Previous studies suggest that patients with liver disease may need more plasma then patients without liver disease to correct any given pre-transfusion INR (INR value measured before plasma transfusion) to the same post-transfusion INR target (INR value measured after plasma transfusion).

Current physician dosing of plasma is variable and rarely successful at reaching stated INR targets. The INR thresholds, commonly used triggers for plasma transfusion by Gastro-Intestinal (GI), Hepatology and critical care physicians at our institution range from 1.5-3.0 in bleeding or pre-procedural patients with liver disease representing tremendous variability. When we evaluated plasma transfusion dosing practices in bleeding patients with liver disease over 8 years, we demonstrated that these same physicians rarely met stated theoretical targets.

Over or under dosing plasma in these patients may lead to serious clinical complications.The target INR goal was to be within ±0.1 after the first round of FFP transfusion, and was selected because underdosing can result in prolonged bleeding, delayed procedure times, and more rounds of FFP transfusion. Furthermore, overdosing can result in excess cost, increased portal pressures, bleeding, transfusion associated circulatory overload (TACO), and transfusion related acute lung injury (TRALI).

Enrollment: 50 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 85 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion and exclusion criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

Subjects will be eligible to participate in the study if they meet all of the following criteria:

1. Admission to the University of Colorado Hospital or Denver Health hospital and the clinical care team plans to transfuse the patient plasma to target a specific INR value. (reason for transfusion is not considered).
2. Patient has chronic liver disease defined as 1 or more of the following: Previous diagnosis of chronic liver disease OR -Imaging or biopsy diagnosis of cirrhosis; or
3. Signs of portal hypertension (ascites, varices, hypersplenism), or
4. Laboratory evidence of synthetic dysfunction (INR>1.5, bilirubin> 2.0 mg/dL, albumin<2.5 mg/dL) AND ≥2 physical exam findings on admission associated with chronic liver disease (palmar erythema, spider angiomata, asterixis, caput medusa, gynecomastia)

Exclusion Criteria Subjects will be ineligible to participate in the study if they meet any of the following criteria

1. Patient under age 18
2. Patient actively taking vitamin K antagonists
3. Inability to obtain consent
4. Clinical team does not desire to target a specific INR value
5. Pregnant patients and prisoners
6. Patients with Acute Liver Failure

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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50 participants in 2 patient groups

Clinician Chosen Dosing

Active Comparator group

Description:

Admitted University of Colorado Hospital or Denver Health bleeding patients with chronic liver disease determined to receive fresh frozen plasma (FFP) for clinical indications as determined by hospital clinician. The total dose will be determined by the physician's judgment which is the current standard of care. The physician chosen dose will be utilized but physician will be unaware of which dosing strategy has been utilized. INR measurements will be performed before (pre) and after (post) transfusion of plasma has been administered. Primary and secondary outcome measures will be collected. No other transfused blood component, crystalloid or colloidal fluid will be infused between the first and second INR studies except plasma.

Treatment:

Diagnostic Test: Pre-Transfusion International Normalized Ratio (INR)

Diagnostic Test: Post-Transfusion International Normalized Ratio (INR)

Biological: Fresh Frozen Plasma

Algorithm Dosing

Experimental group

Description:

Admitted University of Colorado Hospital or Denver Health bleeding patients with chronic liver disease determined to receive fresh frozen plasma (FFP) for clinical indications as determined by hospital clinician. This group will receive plasma doses based on the study dosing algorithm table. A pre-transfusion INR (before transfusion) and a target post-transfusion INR (after transfusion) will be used to determine dose of FFP. The study table will reveal the dose in (ml/kg) of FFP to be transfused. INR measurements will be performed before (pre) and after (post) transfusion of plasma has been administered. Primary and secondary outcome measures will be collected. No other transfused blood component,crystalloid or colloidal fluid will be infused between the first and second INR studies except plasma.

Treatment:

Diagnostic Test: Pre-Transfusion International Normalized Ratio (INR)

Diagnostic Test: Post-Transfusion International Normalized Ratio (INR)

Biological: Fresh Frozen Plasma