en Original Research Original Research <p> <strong>ABSTRACT</strong></p><p> <strong>Background:</strong> Aprotinin has been used increasingly to reduce postoperative blood loss in open-heart operations due to the potentialities for complications and high cost, it would seem reasonable to use aprotinin more selectively in small doses in the prime solution of the pump.</p><p> <strong>Methods:</strong> We prospectively studied the effect of preoperative low dose aprotinin [2 million units (230mg)] on blood loss and transfusion requirements in patients undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass. One-hundred and fifty patients were randomly assigned to two groups: prophylactic low dose aprotinin (group 1) and a non-medicated control group (group 2). The two groups were comparable in all demographic and operative variables.</p><p> <strong>Results:</strong> Postoperative chest tube drainage was significantly decreased in the aprotinin group compared with that in the control group (372.73 mL in group 1 and 482.2 mL in group 2, p<0.05). No significant difference was seen between the two groups in regard to transfusion requirement (p>0.05). The use of fresh frozen plasma (FFP) was significantly less in group 1 than in group 2 (469.87 mL versus 680.69 mL, p<0.05).</p><p> <strong>Conclusion:</strong> Prophylactic use of low-dose aprotinin immediately before cardiopulmonary bypass reduced the need for transfusion of blood & fresh frozen plasma (FFP) during the post operative period.</p> Cardiac surgery, Aprotinin, Blood loss 119 121 http://mjiri.iums.ac.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-10-1-221&slc_lang=en&sid=1 H. TEIMOURI 20031947532846002362 20031947532846002362 Yes Shahid Madani Hospital,Lorestan University of Medical Sciences, Lorestan, Iran F. SABZI 20031947532846002363 20031947532846002363 No Imam Ali Hospital, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran