Trauma and thrombelastography: how changes in the understanding of coagulopathy, testing, and hospital systems have changed one group's practice.
Bleeding disorders associated with trauma are of paramount importance when dealing with the acutely injured individual. Statistically, up to 40% of trauma related deaths are assumed to be related to hemorrhage. Historically, there have been many varying positions on the way to handle this entity. Ironically, it is not always the injury but the physiologic sequelae of that injury that lead to trauma associated deaths. Over time, newer theories have been developed to help the clinician begin to understand the etiology and treatment of this process. The purpose of this paper is to review current literature and explain how these new concepts helped change practice in an urban, academic, Level One Trauma Center.
Denver Health and Hospital, Denver, CO 80204, USA. michael.sawyer@dhha.org
Michael M
MM
Sawyer
Greg
G
Myers
Jack
J
Humphrey
Mark
M
Chandler
D000046:Academic Medical Centers; D001778:Blood Coagulation Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D001803:Blood Transfusion / Q000379:methods; D006470:Hemorrhage / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D013916:Thrombelastography / Q000379:methods*; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*