Anaesthesia
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Comparative Study
Improving decision making through presentation of viscoelastic tests as a 3D animated blood clot: the Visual Clot.
Point-of-care viscoelastic coagulation tests are used increasingly and enable physicians to run precise whole blood coagulation diagnostics. However, the somewhat complicated and abstract presentation of results may hinder these advantages. For this reason, we developed the Visual Clot as an alternative mode of presentation for thrombelastometric data. ⋯ Although correct interpretation of standard rotational thromboelastometry results depended on previous rotational thromboelastometry knowledge and experience, Visual Clot interpretation did not. The Visual Clot improved rotational thromboelastometry-based therapeutic decisions, as pathologies can be recognised more rapidly and accurately. These findings underline the significance of an alternative additional visualisation technique that simplifies the interpretation of abstract standard data.
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Multicenter Study Observational Study
Peri-operative administration of tranexamic acid in lower limb arthroplasty: a multicentre, prospective cohort study.
In the UK, tranexamic acid is recommended for all surgical procedures where expected blood loss exceeds 500 ml. However, the optimal dose, route and timing of administration are not known. This study aimed to evaluate current practice of peri-operative tranexamic acid administration. ⋯ Current standard of care in the UK is to administer 1000 mg of tranexamic intravenously either pre- or intra-operatively. Approximately one-third of patients present for surgery with anaemia, although the overall red blood cell transfusion rate is low. These data provide useful comparators when assessing the efficacy of tranexamic acid and other patient blood management interventions in future studies.