Summary
When no fresh frozen plasma is available, acute major blood loss is compensated above all with crystalloids, colloids and red blood cell concentrates, meaning that all plasma clotting factors are diluted. So far, consumption coagulopathy is almost always accompanied by dilutional coagulopathy. Formulas for calculating critical blood loss and standard coagulation tests are often not helpful in the case of massive transfusion. On the other hand, systems suitable for point of care, such as thrombelastography, have important advantages. In the case of consumption and dilutional coagulopathy plasma coagulation is disturbed and critical values are first seen for fibrinogen. Not only is fibrin polymerization impaired by the bleeding-induced loss and dilution of fibrinogen, but also by interaction with artificial colloids, particularly hydroxyethyl starch and gelatin preparations. Neither fresh frozen plasma therapy nor treatment with clotting factor concentrates has been the subject of detailed clinical study. Large scaled studies are needed to work out guidelines for coagulation management in the case of massive blood loss.
Keywords
Blood loss - dilutional coagulopathy - thrombelastography - coagulation management
