Hemophilia Prophylaxis With Factor VIII Concentrate

Abstract

Antihemophilic factor concentrate was given on fixed schedules to adults with severe classic hemophilia who had very frequent hemorrhages. While receiving 250 factor VIII units a day, the subjects had almost half as many bleeding episodes as during a baseline period; on a regimen of 500 factor VIII units a day, bleeding episodes occurred about one fourth as often as during the baseline period. When a large dose, 2,000 factor VIII units, was given once a week, no bleeding episodes occurred in the first 48 hours, but occurred again in midweek when factor VIII levels had returned to baseline values. Prophylaxis in hemophilia with factor VIII concentrate is feasible and beneficial; the expense may not be much greater than that of treating random hemorrhages.