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Updated: Aug 23, 2025

Prehospital Thrombolysis: A Manual from Berlin
Published on: November 26, 2013
PROTHROMBIN COMPLEX CONCENTRATE IN EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT
Višnja Nesek Adam1,2,3, Ingrid Bošan-Kilibarda4
1Emergency Department, Clinical Hospital Sveti Duh, Zagreb, Croatia.
Coagulation abnormalities are common in bleeding or critically ill patient and hemostatic management remains a major challenge for the emergency physician. Management of bleeding patients consists of bleeding control, restoration of blood volume, and correction of any associated coagulopathy. Traditionally, the fresh frozen plasma (FFP) is used for correction of coagulopathy to manage and prevent bleeding, but today Prothrombin complex concentrates (PCCs) offer an attractive alternative because they offers a number of advantages over FFP, including lower infusion volume, rapid INR normalization, faster availability, lack of blood group specificity, and better safety profile. The aim of the present review is to provide an short overview about using PCC, their indication, efficacy and safety in different bleeding setting's.
Coagulation abnormalities are common in bleeding or critically ill patient and hemostatic management remains a major challenge for the emergency physician. Management of bleeding patients consists of bleeding control, restoration of blood volume, and correction of any associated coagulopathy. Traditionally, the fresh frozen plasma (FFP) is used for correction of coagulopathy to manage and prevent bleeding, but today Prothrombin complex concentrates (PCCs) offer an attractive alternative because they offers a number of advantages over FFP, including lower infusion volume, rapid INR normalization, faster availability, lack of blood group specificity, and better safety profile. The aim of the present review is to provide an short overview about using PCC, their indication, efficacy and safety in different bleeding setting's.
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