Coagulation in acutely ill patients with severe chronic liver disease: Insights from thromboelastography

Abstract

Background and aims There is controversy about the true coagulation state of acutely ill patients with chronic liver disease (CLD) due to simultaneous pro- and anticoagulant factor deficits and limitations of conventional coagulation tests (CCTs). Thromboelastography (TEG) may provide more physiologically relevant insights. Methods In acutely ill patients with severe (Child-Pugh C) CLD, we conducted a prospective observational study of daily coagulation assessment with both CCTs and TEG. Results We studied 34 patients with CLD on a total of 109 occasions (median of 3 samples per patient), comparing findings with 157 healthy controls. Conventional coagulation tests and TEG both demonstrated c..