TITLE:
Thromboelastography: Current Applications, Future Directions
AUTHORS:
Linda M. Trapani
KEYWORDS:
Thromboelastography; Rotational Thromboelastometry; Cardiopulmonary Bypass; Coagulation Index; Adenosine Diphosphate; Prothrombin Time; Partial Thromboplastin Time; International Normalized Ratio
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Anesthesiology,
Vol.3 No.1,
January
31,
2013
ABSTRACT: Analyzing coagulability often hinges
on patient surveillance using prothrombin time (PT) or international normalized
ratio (INR) and activated partial
thromboplastin time (aPTT) to monitor the extrinsic and intrinsic coagulation
pathways, respectively A more complete assessment, however, can often be
obtained using thromboelastography (TEG), a coagulation assay that evaluates the efficiency of clot formation, as
well as the viscoelastic properties of the clot. Developed by Dr. Helmut Hartert
in 1948 at the UniversityofHeidelberg, it provides information regarding hemostasis as
a dynamic process [1,2]. Here, the TEG technique will be
described, as well as its current
applications and future directions for its use.