Abstract
Objective: To describe the use of thromboelastography (TEG) to direct hemostatic resuscitation in a child with traumatic injury requiring massive transfusion. Design: Case report. Setting: Level 1 pediatric trauma center in an academic tertiary care facility. Patient: A 5-year-old boy with grade IV liver injury and right common hepatic artery laceration. Intervention: TEG-directed resuscitation, including recombinant activated factor VII. Measurements and Main Results: Measurements included vital signs, laboratory results to include TEG values, and blood product administration. TEG-directed resuscitation with recombinant activated factor VII was associated with the prevention of increased intracranial hemorrhage and survival in a coagulopathic patient with a life-threatening traumatic injury. Conclusion: Our clinical and TEG laboratory results postresuscitation support the potential use of TEG as a tool to direct hemostatic resuscitation in patients with severe trauma requiring massive transfusion. TEG is a quick and focused method of qualitatively assessing the entire coagulation cascade, from clot formation to fibrinolysis that permits a targeted transfusion approach to the treatment of coagulopathy. TEG has the potential to rapidly and effectively direct hemostatic resuscitation in patients with the coagulopathy of trauma.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | e22-e26 |
Journal | Pediatric Critical Care Medicine |
Volume | 10 |
Issue number | 2 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Mar 1 2009 |
Keywords
- Children
- Coagulopathy
- Recombinant activated factor VII
- Thromboelastography
- Trauma