Targeted Bleeding Management Reduces the Requirements for Blood Component Therapy in Lung Transplant Recipients

Lung transplantation is associated with high rates of bleeding and frequent blood transfusion. The authors aimed to determine if point-of-care coagulation testing (POCCT) reduced transfusion requirements.

A before-and-after cohort analysis conducted at a single tertiary referral center. Ninety-three sequential adult patients between January 2010 and January 2014 undergoing isolated lung transplant without preoperative extracorporeal support were analyzed.

ROTEM and multi-plate POCCT were introduced on July 1, 2012, with an associated algorithm based on the results.

Statistically significant decreases in the proportion of patients receiving PRBCs (87% v 65%; p = 0.015), FFP (72% v 30%; p<0.0001) and platelets (70% v 37%; p = 0.002) were found after the intervention. There were small decreases in median chest tube blood loss at 2 hours (300 mLs v 215 mLs; p = 0.03) and 4 hours (440 mLs v 350 mLs; p = 0.050) but not at 12 hours postoperatively. There were no changes in reoperation for bleeding (9% v 4%; p = 0.158) or in-hospital mortality (6% v 2%; p = 0.617). The cost of blood products administered decreased from a median of $3,935.00 to $991.00 (p<0.001).

Use of POCCT in lung-transplant surgery is associated with significant reductions in blood product use and cost. There were no detectable changes in outcome aside from a small decrease in early postoperative bleeding.