Thromboelastography (TEG) and rotational thromboelastometry (ROTEM) for trauma‑induced coagulopathy in adult trauma patients with bleeding
BACKGROUND: Trauma‐induced coagulopathy (TIC) is a disorder of the blood clotting process that occurs soon after trauma injury. A diagnosis of TIC on admission is associated with increased mortality rates, increased burdens of transfusion, greater risks of complications and longer stays in critical care. Current diagnostic testing follows local hospital processes and normally involves conventional coagulation tests including prothrombin time ratio/international normalized ratio (PTr/INR), activated partial prothrombin time and full blood count. In some centres, thromboelastography (TEG) and rotational thromboelastometry (ROTEM) are standard tests, but in the UK they are more commonly used in research settings. OBJECTIVES: The objective was to determine the diagnostic accuracy of thromboelastography (TEG) and rotational thromboelastometry (ROTEM) for TIC in adult trauma patients with bleeding, using a reference standard of prothrombin time ratio and/or the international normalized ratio. SEARCH METHODS: We ran the search on 4 March 2013. Searches ran from 1970 to current. We searched The Cochrane Library, MEDLINE (OvidSP), EMBASE Classic and EMBASE, eleven other databases, the web, and clinical trials registers. The Cochrane Injuries Group's specialised register was not searched for this review as it does not contain diagnostic test accuracy studies. We also screened reference lists, conducted forward citation searches and contacted authors. SELECTION CRITERIA: We included all cross‐sectional studies investigating the diagnostic test accuracy of TEG and ROTEM in patients with clinically suspected TIC, as well as case‐control studies. Participants were adult trauma patients in both military and civilian settings. TIC was defined as a PTr/INR reading of 1.2 or greater, or 1.5 or greater. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: We piloted and performed all review stages in duplicate, including quality assessment using the QUADAS‐2 tool, adhering to guidance in the Cochrane Handbook for Diagnostic Test Accuracy Reviews. We ...