Celite-activated thrombelastography in children

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Coagulation
• Hemostasis Monitoring
• Thrombelastography

Background:

• Establishing normal hemostasis ranges in pediatric populations is crucial for accurate clinical interpretation.
• The celite-activated thrombelastograph (TEG) is a valuable tool for assessing global coagulation.
• Limited data exists on age-specific normal TEG values in healthy children.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantify global coagulation using the celite-activated TEG.
• To establish normal reference ranges for celite-activated TEG parameters in healthy pediatric patients across different age groups.
• To compare pediatric TEG values with those of healthy adults.

Main Methods:

• A prospective observational study was conducted in a university hospital setting.
• 110 healthy pediatric patients (categorized into four age groups) and 25 healthy adults were enrolled.
• Blood samples were analyzed using celite-activated TEG after anesthetic induction, measuring R time, K time, alpha angle, maximum amplitude, TEG index, and percent fibrinolysis.

Main Results:

• Statistically significant differences were observed in alpha angle and percent fibrinolysis between certain pediatric age groups.
• Significant differences in angle and TEG index were found when comparing pediatric groups to the adult group (p < 0.05).
• These observed changes were of small magnitude and not consistently age-related.

Conclusions:

• The study identified minor variations in celite-TEG parameters in healthy children compared to adults.
• These differences do not suggest abnormal coagulation between the pediatric and adult groups.
• The established normal ranges will aid clinicians in monitoring coagulation status in pediatric patients.