PB0545 - Efficacy and safety of Haemocer, a local hemostatic agent, in patients with congenital bleeding disorders: A pilot study

Background: The safety and efficacy of Hemocer has been approved in different surgical procedures as a local hemostatic agent

Aims: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of Hemocer on the management of bleeding symptoms in patients with congenital bleeding disorders.

Methods: In this case series, 11 patients with hereditary bleeding disorders (6 Hemophila A, 3 Glanzman thromboastenia, one Vonwillbrand disease, and one Factor X deficiency) were investigated between April and September 2021. All patients were registered at Hemophilia center affiliated with Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, southern Iran. Outcome of all patients with bleeding symptoms were assessed after administration of HaemoCer TM PLUS. HaemoCer is a plant-based hemostatic powder (absorbable polysaccharide) that augments the natural clotting cascade.

Results: Median age of patients was 13 (range: 5-66) years, eight males and three females. Type of bleeding disorder was hemophilia A in about half of the patients. The most common presenting symptoms were bleeding at the time of circumcision (36.4%) followed by gingival bleeding (18.2%). The most prevalent bleeding symptoms were epistaxis (90.9%) and joint bleeding (63.6%).
Table 1 demonstrates the details of clinical characteristics and outcome of each patient after using Hemocer. Overall, three patients (27.2%) (two epistaxis and one gingival bleeding) responded to Hemocer without requirement to any additional treatment. The rest of the patients needed further treatment for managing bleeding symptoms. The patients were followed for three months without occurring any adverse events. Bleeding symptoms occurred in 10 patients during the follow-up period, only four patients agreed to use Hemocer again, which two of them responded and needed no further treatment.

Conclusion(s): It seems that the efficacy of Hemocer is not acceptable enough to use alone for managing the local bleeding symptoms in patients with congenital bleeding disorders. However, it appears safe based on this pilot study.