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The role of viscoelastic testing in the management of the parturient
Author(s) -
Waters Jonathan H.
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
transfusion
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.045
H-Index - 132
eISSN - 1537-2995
pISSN - 0041-1132
DOI - 10.1111/trf.15928
Subject(s) - viscoelasticity , thromboelastography , coagulation , medicine , pregnancy , function (biology) , intensive care medicine , biology , physics , genetics , evolutionary biology , thermodynamics
Viscoelastic testing is the measurement of how the viscoelastic properties of blood change as blood clots. In pregnancy, unique changes in clotting function occur overall to make the pregnant woman hypercoagulable. Viscoelastic testing may be able to play a role in guiding placement of epidural and spinal anesthetics by demonstrating enhanced coagulation function, even when there are individual parts of the coagulation system that are abnormal, for example, thrombocytopenia. These tools may also play a role in addressing the management of maternal hemorrhage, which in the United States is on the rise. This review discusses the opportunity to use viscoelastic testing in the parturient.