Prothrombin Complex Concentrates to Treat Coagulation Disturbances: An Overview With a Focus on Use in Infants and Children

Various factors may lead to coagulation disturbances following cardiopulmonary bypass and surgery for congenital heart disease. In addition to the risks associated with the administration of allogeneic blood products, persistent disturbances in coagulation function and ongoing bleeding may lead to prolonged surgical times, hemodynamic alterations, intracranial hemorrhage, and even mortality. In most clinical scenarios, coagulation disturbances are treated by targeted blood product therapy including fresh frozen plasma, platelet transfusions, or the administration of cryoprecipitate. When routine blood product therapy fails, coagulation adjuncts such as activated recombinant factor VII or prothrombin complex concentrates (PCCs) may be an option to rapidly replenish depleted coagulation factors and correct coagulation disturbances. The PCC formulations including three-factor PCC, four-factor PCC, and factor eight-inhibitor bypass activator (FEIBA) have been used mainly in the adult population with sporadic case series and anecdotal reports in the pediatric population. The following manuscript discusses the various PCC products available for clinical use, reviews previous reports of their use in infants and children with an emphasis on their role following surgery for congenital heart disease, and outlines their potential role in these clinical scenarios.