The effect of premarin on blood loss attending open heart surgery.

Premarin was administered prophylactically to every other patient in a series of 148 consecutive cases of open intracardiac surgery. Of these, 132 patients were matched to analyse the results of Premarin administration and postoperative blood loss. There were 67 patients who were given Premarin and 65 who did not receive this drug; both groups were identical in respect of age and sex. Matching was undertaken according to history of previous cardiac operations and anticoagulation, type of valve surgery or repair of congenital anomaly, duration of perfusion, platelet count and the use of fresh blood and epsilon-aminocaproic acid in the postoperative period. The prophylactic use of Premarin was not associated with a reduction in postoperative bleeding.