Control of hemorrhage during renal failure with triglycyl-lysine-vasopressin.

A 35-year-old man with chronic renal failure developed toxic epidermal necrolysis due to combination antibiotic therapy for a community acquired pneumonia. During wound care for his toxic epidermal necrolysis, he developed massive bleeding, a 4 to 6 unit blood loss at each dressing change, due to uremia-associated platelet dysfunction and thrombocytopenia. After failure of standard therapy, the man was treated with intravenous triglycyl-lysine-vasopressin, a selective peripheral vasoconstrictor. Transfusion requirements stopped during treatment. This man went on to full recovery with complete wound healing. Triglycyl-lysine-vasopressin effectively reduced skin blood loss in this man with toxic epidermal necrolysis and an intrinsic hemostatic defect, and may be useful in other patients with cutaneous blood loss.