title: Coronary artery bypass grafting in idiopathic thrombocytopenia: use of thromboelastometry without platelet transfusion.
abstract: Patients with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura have safely undergone cardiac surgical procedures; however, platelets were transfused in 20 of 24 reported instances, and no point-of-care testing of coagulation status was performed. Herein, we report the case of a patient with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura who required urgent coronary artery bypass grafting and intra-aortic balloon pump support. Rotational thromboelastometry was used as a point-of-care test of the patient's coagulation status. No preoperative prophylactic transfusion of allogeneic platelets was necessary, and in fact the patient required no allogeneic blood products during his hospitalization. We believe that point-of-care coagulation tests such as thromboelastometry warrant further evaluation regarding their usefulness in the clinical decision of whether to transfuse platelets and other blood products.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiac Surgery, Royal Sussex University Hospital, Brighton BN2 5BE, United Kingdom. michele.rossi@bsuh.nhs.uk
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rossi
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lewis
authors.forename: Nevil
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hutchinson
mesh_terms: D016063:Blood Loss, Surgical / Q000517:prevention & control*; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass / Q000009:adverse effects; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D007423:Intra-Aortic Balloon Pumping; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017713:Platelet Transfusion; D019095:Point-of-Care Systems; D011300:Preoperative Care; D016553:Purpura, Thrombocytopenic, Idiopathic / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications*; D013916:Thrombelastography; D016896:Treatment Outcome