Infusion of DDAVP Does Not Improve Primary Hemostasis in Patients with Cirrhosis

Rationale: Cirrhosis frequently affects multiple components of hemostasis. Reversal of the coagulopathy of these patients is frequently required in case of bleeding episodes, or as prophylaxis before invasive procedures. A simple and cost-effective way to correct a prolonged bleeding time in patients with cirrhosis is administration of 1-deamino-8-D-arginine vasopressin (DDAVP). Although DD AVP is widely used as a pro-hemostatic agent in patients with cirrhosis, it is unclear whether DDAVP truly enhances the hemostatic potential in these patients. We investigated the hemostatic effects of a single bolus dose of DDAVP in patients with cirrhosis.