Experience of desmopressin (DDAVP) administration in patients with congenital and acquired bleeding disorders.

ABSTRACT

Desmopressin (DDAVP) 0.3 micrograms/kg was administered intravenously to three normal volunteers and 12 patients with von Willebrand's disease (vWD), congenital or acquired platelet function defect, or uremic bleeding to assess its effects and side effects. DDAVP significantly shortened the bleeding time as compared with basal values. The mean peak post-DDAVP level of factor VIII coagulant activity increased 5.9 +/- 0.5 (mean +/- SEM) fold, von Willebrand factor antigen increased 3.7 +/- 0.3 fold, von Willebrand factor ristocetin cofactor activity increased 4.6 +/- 0.6 fold and the tissue-type plasminogen activator antigen increased 3.4 +/- 0.6 fold. Analysis of the multimeric structure of the von Willebrand factor revealed that type I vWD had complete correction after DDAVP infusion transiently. Except for a mild drop in both systolic and diastolic blood pressures, few side effects were noted. By concomitant intravenous infusion of DDAVP and oral administration of tranexamic acid, we successfully treated two cases of type I vWD undergoing tooth extraction, and one case of acquired bleeding disorder undergoing a biopsy of a mandibular mass, and a uremic patient complicated by intractable traumatic hematuria. Our experiences confirmed that most patients with vWD and some patients with congenital or acquired bleeding disorders can be treated effectively by DDAVP infusion without the need for plasma product replacement. In this study we found that a patient with a variant form of type I vWD had prolongation of the bleeding time, thrombocytopenia and platelet aggregation after DDAVP infusion.