Coagulation complications following trauma

Traumatic injury is one of the leading causes of death, with uncontrolled hemorrhage from coagulation dysfunction as one of the main potentially preventable causes of the mortality. Hypothermia, acidosis, and resuscitative hemodilution have been considered as the significant contributors to coagulation manifestations following trauma, known as the lethal triad. Over the past decade, clinical observations showed that coagulopathy may be present as early as hospital admission in some severely injured trauma patients. The hemostatic dysfunction is associated with higher blood transfusion requirements, longer hospital stay, and higher mortality. The recognition of this early coagulopathy has initiated tremendous interest and effort in the trauma community to expand our understanding of the underlying pathophysiology and improve clinical treatments. This review discusses the current knowledge of coagulation complications following trauma.