Comparison of Fibrinogen Concentrate and Cryoprecipitate in Pediatric Cardiac Surgery Patients

The aim of the current pilot study proposal is to compare the use of the purified human fibrinogen concentrate (Fibryga®, Octapharma USA) to cryoprecipitate for the treatment of cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB)-associated bleeding in pediatric cardiac patients in whom fibrinogen supplementation is indicated. The investigators' hypothesis is that fibrinogen concentrate will be as effective as cryoprecipitate in achieving adequate hemostasis after separation from CPB in pediatric cardiac surgery patients. Study Design: this will be a single-center, prospective, randomized, active-control study in pediatric (24 months of age or younger) patients undergoing elective cardiac surgery with CPB (n=30) in-whom fibrinogen supplementation after separation from CPB is indicated, based on the presence of clinically-significant bleeding and documentation of low fibrinogen level on viscoelastic point-of-care testing (MCF \< 10 mm on the FIBTEM assay of ROTEM). Informed consent will be obtained from a parent or a legal guardian prior to surgery and anesthesia. Once the need for fibrinogen supplementation is confirmed, study participants will be randomized into one of two treatment groups (n=15 in each group): 1. Cryoprecipitate group (dose: 10 ml/kg; active control group) or 2. Fibrinogen Concentrate group (dose: 70 mg/kg; intervention group). There will be no placebo group since withholding treatment is neither consistent with standard of care nor acceptable ethically. No other aspects of care will be modified. In the event that an additional dose of fibrinogen supplementation is required (bleeding with documented hypofibrinogenemia) cryoprecipitate will be administered to all study subjects (including those who received FC). The results of this study will be used for publication as well as the first stage towards a significantly larger randomized multi-center trial (see below). Based on the results of this pilot study the investigators plan to conduct a large multi-center, rando