Nebulized heparin is associated with fewer days of mechanical ventilation in critically ill patients: a randomized controlled trial

Table 4 Study drug safety and tolerability

	Placebo N= 25	Heparin N= 25	P value
Percentage of scheduled doses withheld	3.8 ± 9.2	5.8 ± 9.5	0.5
Reasons for withholding
Blood-stained sputum	1 (4)	6 (24)	0.1
Prolonged APTT	1 (4)	3 (12)	0.6
Suspected HIT	0	1 (4)	1
Confirmed HIT	1 (4)	0	1
Invasive procedure	3 (12)	0	0.2
Other	4 (16)	2 (8)	0.7
Percentage of days during study period with
Blood-stained sputum	31 ± 28	41 ± 39	0.3
Frank blood in sputum	2.5 ± 9	7.0 ± 21	0.3
Purulent sputum^a	62 ± 25	61 ± 35	1
Red cell transfusion
Volume transfused per day (mls)	0 (0-57)	0 (0-85)	0.9
Patients transfused	10 (40)	7 (28)	0.4
Abnormal APTT^b (> 40 seconds)	5/17 (29)	11/19 (58)	0.08

^aDenotes sputum reported as yellow, green, dirty, or purulent. ^bPatients on therapeutic heparin were excluded from this analysis. Values other than P values are presented as mean ± standard deviation, as median (interquartile range), or as number (percentage). APPT, activated partial thromboplastin time; HIT, heparin-induced thrombocytopenia.

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