Open AccessManagement of the thrombotic risk associated with COVID-19: what is the role of the hemostasis laboratory?
Author(s) -
Michaël Hardy,
Jonathan Douxfils,
Jean Michel Dogné,
Sarah Lessire,
Bernard Châtelain,
Sophie Testa,
Isabelle GouinThibault,
Yves Gruel,
Thomas Lecompte,
François Mullier
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
annales de biologie clinique
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.167
H-Index - 27
eISSN - 1950-6112
pISSN - 0003-3898
DOI - 10.1684/abc.2020.1581
Subject(s) - hemostasis , partial thromboplastin time , medicine , prothrombin time , intensive care medicine , fibrinogen , heparin , covid-19 , coagulation , disease , infectious disease (medical specialty)
COVID-19 is associated with disturbances of hemostasis in the laboratory and an increased thrombotic risk. Routine laboratory tests - activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT), prothrombin time, Clauss fibrinogen and D-dimers levels measurement - are used for the evaluation of the thrombotic risk and the monitoring of hemostasis, but are subject to several drawbacks that may affect the reliability and clinical relevance of the delivered results. Another challenge for the hemostasis laboratory is the monitoring of heparin treatment. For instance, the issue of the monitoring of unfractionated heparin remains debated, the more so when there is a tremendous inflammatory response. This brief review considers the role of laboratory tests of hemostasis in the management of COVID-19 and discusses their main limitations to be kept in mind.