WEDNESDAY, Nov. 3 (HealthDay News) -- A drug approved to help
staunch bleeding in people with hemophilia raises the risk of
heart attacks and stroke when it's used to stop life-threatening
bleeding due to other conditions, such as trauma or surgery, a
new study Despite the nearly twofold rise in risk of dangerous
clots that form inside blood vessels and cause heart attacks and
stroke in those without hemophilia, researchers said doctors
should use the information to carefully weigh the risks and
benefits of using the drug, called recombinant activated factor
VII (rFVIIa), for any "If you are a physician confronted with a
patient with excessive blood loss, and you have done everything
you can and this patient is almost dying because of the
bleeding, it's quite acceptable to give the drug even if it's
associated with a risk of thrombosis [clotting]," said study
author Dr. Marcel Levi, a professor of Medicine at University of
Amsterdam in the Netherlands. "On the other hand, if you are
confronted with a patient