Purpose

We evaluated the efficacy of hemostatic therapy based on point-of-care (POC) testing in patients undergoing cardiac surgery.

Methods

This was a single-institution, prospective, randomized, double-blinded study. In step 1, 90 patients scheduled for elective cardiac surgery underwent complete blood count and fibrinogen measurements at baseline, after cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) initiation (CPB start), just after CPB end, and in the intensive care unit (ICU). In step 2, 72 patients scheduled for elective cardiac surgery underwent conventional laboratory coagulation tests (control group) or POC coagulation tests (POC group). Transfusions were prepared using the fibrinogen and platelet values at mainly “CPB start” for the control group, and using the ROTEM values at mainly “CPB end” for the POC group. Consequently, the step 2 patients were divided into high- and low-risk subgroups based on the EuroSCORE II by logistic regression analysis; transfusion data and bleeding volumes were compared between the control and POC groups within the high- and low-risk subgroups.

Results

In step 1, all blood components were significantly decreased at CPB start compared with baseline, and platelet and fibrinogen levels remained almost constant from CPB start to end. In step 2, the transfusion rates and perioperative bleeding volumes did not significantly differ between the control and POC groups. Subgroup analysis suggested that only the high-risk subgroup significantly differed regarding perioperative red blood cell transfusion and total bleeding volume in the ICU.

Conclusions

POC testing is beneficial for cardiac surgery patients with a EuroSCORE II of ≥1.83%.