Antithrombin III Has No Benefit in Critically Ill Patients

Antithrombin III, a potent anticoagulant and anti-inflammatory agent, has been used in critically ill patients in an attempt to decrease mortality, but data on efficacy and safety are inconclusive. Researchers performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of 20 randomized controlled trials that compared antithrombin III with placebo or no intervention in a total of 3458 critically ill patients. Dosing regimens and duration of follow-up varied among studies.

Overall, antithrombin III therapy did not reduce mortality (relative risk, 0.96) or the incidence of respiratory failure, the duration of mechanical ventilation, or the length of stay in the hospital or intensive care unit. These findings held true in subgroup analyses of different pati…