Summary
The intravenous infusion of 1-deamino-8-D-arginine vasopressin (DDAVP) shortens the
prolonged bleeding time in patients with congenital or acquired bleeding disorders,
including patients with uremia or liver cirrhosis. We carried out a double-blind,
placebo-controlled crossover study in ten patients with liver cirrhosis to evaluate
whether or not their prolonged bleeding times could be shortened by subcutaneous injections
of DDAVP (0.3 μg/kg), a more practical route of administration than intravenous infusions.
One hour after DDAVP injection the bleeding time was significantly shortened (p <0.05).
After 4 h, however, the bleeding time shortening was no longer statistically significant.
There was no bleeding time change after placebo. Plasma levels of von Willebrand factor
antigen (vWF: Ag) did not significantly increase after DDAVP or placebo. The study
shows that subcutaneous DDAVP is an alternative method for shortterm shortening of
the bleeding time in liver cirrhosis.
