Application of thrombelastography/thromboelastometry to veterinary medicine

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Medicine
• Hemostasis and Thrombosis
• Point-of-Care Diagnostics

Background:

• Thromboelastography (TEG) is a point-of-care diagnostic tool that assesses the viscoelastic properties of whole blood during clot formation and lysis.
• TEG has been validated in various animal species, including dogs, cats, and horses.
• Current research focuses on test validation, disease-related TEG alterations, and therapeutic monitoring in veterinary medicine.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the methodology, terminology, and potential errors associated with TEG in veterinary practice.
• To examine the correlation between TEG results and conventional hemostatic assays.
• To discuss the current clinical applications of TEG in veterinary medicine.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature on TEG methodology and applications in veterinary hemostasis.
• Analysis of preanalytical and analytical sources of error in TEG testing.
• Comparison of TEG findings with routine hemostatic tests.

Main Results:

• TEG provides a global assessment of hemostasis, detecting changes from clot formation to fibrinolysis.
• Data suggest TEG is a sensitive adjunctive tool for evaluating coagulopathies, including hypercoagulability and hypocoagulability.
• Potential for TEG to monitor therapeutic interventions in animals with hemostatic disorders.

Conclusions:

• TEG is a valuable tool for evaluating hemostatic function in veterinary patients.
• Further prospective studies are required to correlate TEG patterns with clinical bleeding or thrombosis risks.
• Additional research is needed to determine if TEG-guided treatment improves clinical outcomes in animals.