The Role of Platelet Function Analyzer Testing in Cardiac Surgery Transfusion Management

Identifying high-risk patients for transfusion after cardiac operations would alter postoperative management. The aim of this study was to investigate closure time (CT) measured by platelet function analyzer (PFA) for prediction of bleeding and transfusions.

66 patients were scheduled for coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery and 30 patients for valve repair and replacement (non-CABG). Measurements of PFA-100® CT for collagen and adenosine diphosphate (cADP) and collagen and epinephrine (cEPI) were performed 15 min after protamine administration. Blood loss was measured, and the amount of transfusion products was recorded postoperatively.

The study demonstrated significant differences between CABG patients with cADP-CT ≥ 118 s and those with cADP-CT < 118 s with regard to blood loss for 24 h (p = 0.001) and blood loss for 25-48 h (p = 0.003) as well as fresh frozen plasma (p = 0.015), platelet (p > 0.001) and red blood cell (p = 0.002) units given in 48 postoperative h. There were no differences cardiopulmonary bypass when was applied. In non-CABG patients, there were no differences in blood loss and transfusion requirements with respect to cADP-CT and cEPI-CT.

Postoperative platelet dysfunction measured by a prolonged cADP-CT was significant predictor of blood loss and transfusion in CABG patients.