Thromboelastography: Current Applications, Future Directions

Abstract

Analyzing coagulability often hinges on patient surveillance using prothrombin time (PT) or international normalized ratio (INR) and activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) to monitor the extrinsic and intrinsic coagulation pathways, respectively A more complete assessment, however, can often be obtained using thromboelastography (TEG), a coagula-tion assay that evaluates the efficiency of clot formation, as well as the viscoelastic properties of the clot. Developed by Dr. Helmut Hartert in 1948 at the University of Heidelberg, it provides information regarding hemostasis as a dynamic proc-ess [1,2]. Here, the TEG technique will be described, as well as its current applications and future directions for its use.