Review

Vol. 21 No. 6 (2023): Blood Transfusion 6-2023 (November-December)

Viscoelastic coagulation testing in Neonatal Intensive Care Units: advantages and pitfalls in clinical practice

Authors

Key words: Neonatal, Developmental hemostasis, Viscoelastic test, Point-of-care tests
Publication Date: 2023-01-13

Abstract

The expression “developmental hemostasis” indicates the age-related physiological changes occurring during the maturational process of the hemostatic system. Despite the quantitative and qualitative alterations, the neonatal hemostatic system is competent and well-balanced. Conventional coagulation tests do not provide reliable information as they only explore the procoagulants during the neonatal period. In contrast, viscoelastic coagulation tests (VCTs), such as viscoelastic coagulation monitoring (VCM), thromboelastography (TEG or ClotPro), and rotational thromboelastometry (ROTEM), are point-of-care assays that provide a quick, dynamic and global view of the hemostatic process, allowing prompt and individualized therapeutic intervention when necessary. Their use in neonatal care is on the increase and they could help monitor patients at risk of hemostatic derangement. In addition, they are crucial for anticoagulation monitoring during extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. Moreover, implementing VCT-based monitoring could optimize blood product use.

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Authors

Francesca Manzoni - Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy; Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy

Genny Raffaeli - Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy; Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy

Valeria Cortesi - Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy; Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy

Giacomo S. Amelio - Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy

Ilaria Amodeo - Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy

Silvia Gulden - Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy

Gaia Cervellini - Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy; Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy

Andrea Tomaselli - Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy; Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy

Marta Colombo - Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy; Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy

Andrea Artoni - Angelo Bianchi Bonomi Hemophilia and Thrombosis Center, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy

Stefano Ghirardello - Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, Pavia, Italy

Fabio Mosca - Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy; Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy

Giacomo Cavallaro - Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy

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