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Hamostaseologie 2020; 40(04): 509-514
DOI: 10.1055/a-1200-0417
Review Article

Usefulness of Thrombin Generation

Armando Tripodi
1   IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico Foundation, Angelo Bianchi Bonomi Hemophilia and Thrombosis Center and Fondazione Luigi Villa, Milan, Italy
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Abstract

Thrombin generation (TG) is a global coagulation procedure meant to continuously monitor thrombin formation and decay upon exposure of platelet-poor plasma to exogenous triggers such as tissue factor, phospholipids, and calcium chloride. The procedure can also be performed in platelet-rich plasma by omitting exogenous phospholipids. TG is thought to mimic more than other coagulation procedures the process that occurs in vivo. Over the years, TG has been used to investigate coagulation mechanisms, which were not completely understood, or to investigate hyper- or hypocoagulability in clinical conditions known to be at increased risk of thrombosis or hemorrhage, respectively. More recently, TG has been employed as a laboratory tool to assess the risk of recurrent venous thromboembolism or to assess the risk of arterial thromboembolism in specific clinical settings or in the general population. The article reviews the value and limitations of TG.

Keywords

arterial thrombosis - coagulation factors - Hemostasis


Publication History

Received: 04 May 2020

Accepted: 15 June 2020

Article published online:
30 July 2020

© 2020. Thieme. All rights reserved.

Georg Thieme Verlag KG
Stuttgart · New York

 

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