Objective: To assess the role of heparin administration in the early stage of sepsis and its mechanism of action.
Methods: This was a prospective study. One hundred and nineteen patients were enrolled in the study and were randomly divided into control group (64 cases) and therapy group (55 cases). Except the basic therapy of sepsis given to patients in both groups, the patients in the control group received normal saline, while the patients in the therapy group received heparin 2 mg.kg(-1).d(-1) with the aid of intravenous pump continuously after the onset of sepsis. The platelet count (PLT), D-dimer, and lactic acid in the blood were analyzed before therapy and on the 1st, 3rd, 5th and 10th day. The bleeding tendency was also observed. In every patient an acute physiology and chronic heath evaluation II (APACHE II) score was made.
Results: Patients in both groups had a similar APACHE II score. The pathogenetic and therapeutic condition were similar in both groups. The rate of the active bleeding in the therapy group was lower significantly than that of the control group (12.5% vs. 5.4%, P < 0.05). The PLT of the therapy group decreased on the 1st day, but began to rise on the 3rd day gradually, and up to the same level of the admission day on the 10th day. The PLT of the control group decreased progressively every day (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). D-dimer in the therapy group raised significantly on the 1st day, but lowered to normal level after 3 days. D-dimer in the control group went up progressively every day (all P < 0.01). Lactic acid in the therapy group went up significantly on the 1st day (P < 0.01), but it no longer rose after 3 days (all P > 0.05). The lactic acid level in the control group rose progressively every day (all P < 0.01). There were no significant differences for the PLT, D-dimer, and lactic acid between the two groups before therapy and on the 1st day (all P > 0.05). However, on the 3rd, 5th and 10th day, the PLT in the therapy group was significant higher than that of the control group, the D-dimer and the lactic acid level in the therapy group were significantly lower than that of the control group (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01).
Conclusion: The use of heparin at the earlier period of sepsis can inhibit the lowering of PLT and increase of D-dimer and lactic acid significantly, prevent microvascular thrombosis, improve the tissue perfusion, and decrease active bleeding.