Summary
Guidelines of official societies for diagnosis and therapy of intraoperatively occurring
hypocoagulability rely mainly on data of patients receiving whole blood transfusions.
They recommend -provided that laboratory evaluation shows deficiency (values >1.5
fold normal)- administration of fresh frozen plasma, cryoprecipitate and platelet
concentrates (platelet count <50 000 or <100 000/μl). This article describes the pathogenesis
of coagulopathy in the light of the special intraoperative setting, emphasizes recent
changes of blood component preparation, transfusion triggers, effects of volume therapy
and challenges standard laboratory assays as reliable guide for intraoperative hemostatic
therapy. The role of thrombelastographic monitoring is discussed as well as an alternative
strategy to compensate deficiencies by the use of coagulation factor concentrates
instead of or in addition to transfusion of FFP, a new concept which is illustrated
by the presentation of an actual case report.
Keywords
Haemostasis - laboratory testing - PT - aPTT - fibrinogen - haemorrhage - volume therapy
- thrombelastography/ thrombelastometry - TEG - ROTEM