[Arvin anticoagulant for prolonged extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (author's transl)].

Treatment of overwhelming but reversible respiratory failure has broadened to include extracorporeal support with a membrane lung. Until recently, it has been necessary to rely on heparin to prevent clotting in an extracorporeal circuit. During prolonged bypass heparinisation may be attended by bleeding. We investigated the use of arvin for systemic anticoagulation in extracorporeal membrane lung bypass in lambs. Arvin is a purified fraction of the venom of the Malayan pit viper. Effective anticoagulation was obtained for an average of 4 days (range 2 to 12 days) through complete fibrinogen depletion by arvin. These preliminary data suggest that arvin anticoagulation may be suitable for prolonged extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.