Better hemostatic profiles of never-frozen liquid plasma compared with thawed fresh frozen plasma.

BACKGROUND: Immediate use of thawed fresh frozen plasma (FFP) when resuscitating hemorrhagic shock patients has become more common. According to the AABB (formerly known as American Association of Blood Banks), FFP is the preferred product that can be used up to 5 days after thawing. However, limited data exist on the clinical use and hemostatic profiles of Food and Drug Administration-approved liquid plasma (LQP), which can be stored at 1 °C to 6 °C for up to 26 days. We characterized changes in LQP hemostatic potential during 26 days of cold storage. METHODS: Ten FFP and 10 LQP single-donor units, matched by sex and blood group, were analyzed. FFP was thawed and kept refrigerated for 5 days and LQP for 26 days. Plasma samples were evaluated at Days 0 and 5 for thawed plasma (TP) and 0, 5, 10, 20, and 26 for LQP, by thrombelastography, thrombogram, platelet counts, platelet microparticles, clotting factors, and natural coagulation inhibitors. RESULTS: LQP had a better capacity to form a clot and generate thrombin compared with TP. LQP's hemostatic potential, expressed as endogenous thrombin potential (total amount of thrombin [nM] formed over time [minute]), initially exceeded that of TP (1,425 vs. 1,184, p < 0.05) but decreased to levels similar to TP by Day 26 (1,201 vs. 1,103, p = 0.15). Significantly higher platelet microparticles were found in LQP on Day 26 compared with those in LQP on Day 0 (23.6 x 10(9)/L vs. 3 x 10(9)/L, p < 0.001) or those in TP on Day 5 (2.8 x 10(9)/L). By Day 26, the majority of clotting factors and inhibitors retained more than 88% of their initial activities in LQP, with the few exceptions of factors well known to be unstable. CONCLUSION: The hemostatic profiles of LQP were better and sustained five times longer than the more commonly used TP, indicating that never-frozen plasma can be considered for use in the United States in trauma patients requiring immediate plasma resuscitation.

Damage control resuscitation: from emergency department to the operating room.

Damage control surgery emphasizes limited operations with control of bleeding and contamination. Traditional management centered upon correction of acidosis and hypotension with crystalloids. Damage control resuscitation (DCR) is permissive hypotension and early hemostatic resuscitation combined identified and corrects coagulopathy with fresh-frozen plasma (FFP), restricting use of crystalloids. We hypothesize a survival advantage in patients managed with DCR when compared with a historical cohort of patients. During the 2-year retrospective review, a 1-year period after institution of DCR was compared with a historical control. Resuscitation strategies were analyzed and stratified into emergency department (ED) resuscitation and intraoperative resuscitation. Univariate analysis of continuous data was done with Student's t test followed by multiple logistic regression. Fifty-seven and 61 patients were managed during the NonDCR and DCR periods respectively. Baseline demographic patient characteristics and physiologic variables were similar between groups. ED DCR patients received less crystalloids: 1.1 versus 4.7 liters (P = 0.0001), more FFP: 1.8 versus 0.5 (P = 0.001). NonDCR had a lower initial systolic pressure in the operating room when compared with DCR: 81 mm Hg versus 95 mm Hg (P = 0.03). DCR patients received less intraoperative crystalloids: 5.7 versus 15.8 liters (P = 0.0001) and more FFP: 15.1 versus 6.2 (P = 0.0001). DCR conveyed a survival benefit (Odds Ratio; 95% confidence interval: 0.40 (0.18-0.90), P = 0.024). NonDCR group had 13.2 days longer hospital length of stay. Damage control resuscitation, beginning in the ED, used more packed red blood cells and FFP minimizing crystalloids. DCR was associated with a survival advantage and shorter length of stay in patients with severe hemorrhage.

Damage control resuscitation in combination with damage control laparotomy: a survival advantage.

BACKGROUND: Damage control laparotomy (DCL) improves outcomes when used in patients with severe hemorrhage. Correction of coagulopathy with close ratio resuscitation while limiting crystalloid forms a new methodology known as damage control resuscitation (DCR). We hypothesize a survival advantage in DCL patients managed with DCR when compared with DCL patients managed with conventional resuscitation efforts (CRE). METHODS: This study is a 4-year retrospective study of all DCL patients who required >or=10 units of packed red blood cells (PRBC) during surgery. A 2-year period after institution of DCR (DCL and DCR) was compared with the preceding 2 years (DCL and CRE). Univariate analysis of continuous data was done with Student's t test followed by multiple logistic regression. RESULTS: One Hundred twenty-four and 72 patients were managed during the DCL and CRE and DCL and DCR time periods, respectively. Baseline patient characteristics of age, Injury Severity Score, % penetrating, blood pressure, hemoglobin, base deficit, and INR were similar between groups. There was no difference in quantity of intraoperative PRBC utilization between DCL and CRE and DCL and DCR study periods: 21.7 units versus 25.5 units (p = 0.53); however, when compared with DCL and CRE group, patients in the DCL and DCR group received less intraoperative crystalloids, 4.7 L versus 14.2 L (p = 0.009); more fresh frozen plasma (FFP), 18.2 versus 6.4 (p = 0.002); a closer FFP to PRBC ratio, 1 to 1.2 versus 1 to 4.2 (p = 0.002); platelets to PRBC ratio, 1:2.3 versus 1:5.9 (0.002); shorter mean trauma intensive care unit length of stay, 11 days versus 20 days (p = 0.01); and greater 30-day survival, 73.6% versus 54.8% (p < 0.009). The addition of DCR to DCL conveyed a survival benefit (odds ratio; 95% confidence interval: 0.19 (0.05-0.33), p = 0.005). CONCLUSION: This is the first civilian study that analyses the impact of DCR in patients managed with DCL. During the DCL and DCR study period more PRBC, FFP, and platelets with less crystalloid solution was used intraoperatively. DCL and DCR were associated with a survival advantage and shorter trauma intensive care unit length of stay in patients with severe hemorrhage when compared with DCL and CRE.

Hemostatic resuscitation during surgery improves survival in patients with traumatic-induced coagulopathy.

BACKGROUND: Although hemostatic resuscitation with a 1:1 ratio of fresh-frozen plasma (FFP) to packed red blood cells (PRBC) after severe hemorrhage has been shown to improve survival, its benefit in patients with traumatic-induced coagulopathy (TIC) after >10 units of PRBC during operation has not been elucidated. We hypothesized that a survival benefit would occur when early hemostatic resuscitation was used intraoperatively after injury in patients with TIC. METHODS: A 7-year retrospective study of patients with emergency department diagnosis of TIC after transfusion of >10 units of PRBC in the operating room. TIC was defined as initial emergency department international normalized ratio > 1.2, prothrombin time > 16 seconds, and partial thromboplastin time > 50 seconds. Patients were divided into FFP:PRBC ratios of 1:1, 1:2, 1:3, and 1:4. Patients with diagnosis of TIC who received transfusion of both FFP and PRBC during surgery were included. Other variables evaluated included age, gender, mechanism of injury, initial base deficit, mean operative time, trauma intensive care unit length of stay (TICU LOS) and Injury Severity Score. The primary outcome measure evaluated was the impact of the early FFP:PRBC ratio on mortality. RESULTS: Four hundred thirty-five patients underwent emergency operations postinjury and received FFP with >10 units of PRBC in the operating room; 135 (31.0%) of these patients had TIC and 53 died (39.5% mortality). Mean operative time was 137 minutes (SD +/- 49). There were no differences with regard to age, gender, mechanism of injury, initial base deficit, or Injury Severity Score among all groups. A significant difference in mortality was found in patients who received >10 units of PRBC when FFP:PRBC ratio was 1:1 versus 1:4 (28.2% vs. 51.1%, p = 0.03). Intermediate mortality rates were noted in patients with 1:2 and 1:3 ratios (38% and 40%, respectively). From a linear regression model, 13 days of increased TICU LOS was observed among 1:4 group compared with 1:1 group (p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: TIC is common after severe injury and is associated with a high mortality in patients transfused with >10 units of PRBC during surgery. Early hemostatic resuscitation during first hours after injury improves survival with shorter TICU LOS in patients with TIC.