[Preoperative evaluation of the bleeding history. Recommendations of the working group on perioperative coagulation of the Austrian Society for Anaesthesia, Resuscitation and Intensive Care]. / Präoperative Blutungsanamnese. Empfehlungen der Arbeitsgruppe perioperative Gerinnung der Osterreichischen Gesellschaft für Anästhesiologie, Reanimation und Intensivmedizin.

Unexpected bleeding in the perioperative period is largely caused by impaired inherited or drug-induced primary haemostasis. Standard tests for plasma coagulation are predominantly employed to gauge the risk of bleeding. In accordance with several reports the subcommittee for perioperative coagulation (AGPG) of the Austrian Society of Anaesthesia, Resuscitation and Intensive Care (OGARI) recommends the use of a standardised questionnaire to detect an increased risk of bleeding. Accordingly, healthy patients of the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) grades I and II without any suspicion of impaired haemostasis who are scheduled for procedures without expected transfusion requirements, need no standard tests for coagulation. In all other patients (including patients taking medication affecting coagulation, or patients who are unable to provide adequate information) platelet count, platelet function, aPTT, PT, and fibrinogen levels should be assessed.

[Locoregional anesthesia and coagulation inhibitors. Recommendations of the Task Force on Perioperative Coagulation of the Austrian Society for Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine]. / Lokoregionalanästhesien unter gerinnungshemmender Medikation. Empfehlungen der Arbeitsgruppe Perioperative Gerinnung (AGPG) der Osterreichischen Gesellschaft für Anästhesiologie und Intensivmedizin (OGARI).

More efficacious anticoagulant and antiplatelet agents have been introduced in vascular medicine and in the prevention of perioperative venous thromboembolisms. Patient management should be guided by familiarity with the pharmacology of coagulation-altering drugs and by consensus statements. The present paper reviews recommendations from the Austrian Task Force for Perioperative Coagulation which are based on thorough evaluation of the available pharmacological information and case reports. The consensus statement focuses on neuraxial and peripheral techniques and is designed to encourage safe and quality patient care.

Different effects of abciximab and cytochalasin D on clot strength in thrombelastography.

Maximum amplitude (MA) in thrombelastography (TEG) consists of a plasmatic and a platelet component. To assess the magnitude of the plasmatic component, pharmacological approaches have been proposed to eliminate the platelet component. We evaluated the individual and combined effects of abciximab and cytochalasin D on the MA of TEG. Whole blood, platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and homologous platelet-poor plasma (PPP) from 20 healthy volunteers were spiked with abciximab or cytochalasin D or a combination of both and TEGs performed. Abciximab and cytochalasin D decreased MA in all samples. MA of whole blood (18.6 +/- 3.1 mm) and PRP (33.7 +/- 3.5 mm) spiked with abciximab or cytochalasin D alone (15.0 +/- 2.9 mm and 25.0 +/- 4.0 mm) were significantly higher when compared with abciximab and cytochalasin D combined (10.4 +/- 3.0 and 20.2 +/- 3.5 mm). While MA of PRP and homologous PPP were significantly (P < 0.001) different after individual administration of abciximab and cytochalasin D, combination of both abolished this difference (20.2 +/- 3.5 mm and 20.4 +/- 3.7 mm, P = 0.372). In whole blood of critically ill patients or patients undergoing major surgery there was also a significant difference of MA between abciximab alone and in combination with cytochalasin D (16.5 +/- 11.3 mm and 11.3 +/- 7.7 mm, P < 0.001). This indicates that in contrast to individual administration of abciximab or cytochalasin D, a combination of both compounds eliminates the platelet-specific effect on MA of TEG tracings.