Comparison of conventional coagulation tests and ROTEM in identifying trauma-induced coagulopathy for massive...

Trauma-induced coagulopathy (TIC) can be fatal but preventable if recognised early. With emerging uses of rotational thromboelastometry (ROTEM) to guide transfusions in trauma, patient outcomes with TIC-defined by initial ROTEM and conventional coagulation tests (CCTs) during massive haemorrhage protocol (MHP) activations were evaluated at a primary trauma centre in British Columbia.

This retrospective observational study included adult trauma patients requiring MHP from June 1, 2020, to May 31, 2022. TIC, defined by initial results including (1) ROTEM-based EXTEM A10 <40 mm, EXTEM CT >100 s, EXTEM ML30 >10%, FIBTEM A10 <10 mm; and (2) CCT-based INR ≥1.8, PTT ≥1.5 times of upper normal limit, platelets <50 x 10⁹/L, and Clauss Fibrinogen <1.5 g/L, was assessed for its correlation with mortality. Modified Poisson regression was used to model 28-day mortality.

Twenty-two of sixty-eight patients (32%) had abnormal ROTEM but normal CCTs. TIC defined by CCTs was associated with increased mortality [24 h: 5/13 (38%) vs. 5/55 (9%), p = 0.025; 28d: 8/13 (62%) vs. 11/55 (20%), p = 0.002]; compared to ROTEM, which was not [24 h: 7/35 (20%) vs. 3/33 (9%), p = 0.307; 28d: 11/35 (31%) vs. 9/33 (27%), p = 0.594], despite requiring significantly higher blood component transfusion within the first 4 and 24 h of MHP (p-values<0.05).

ROTEM is more sensitive in identifying TIC. Patients with abnormal CCTs had a higher death rate, and those with abnormal ROTEM had no significantly increased mortality. A prospective study is required to assess the effects of ROTEM further.