RESUMEN
STUDY OBJECTIVE: To evaluate a point-of-care (POC) coagulation monitoring analyzer (CoaguChek Pro DM) in patients undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). DESIGN: Prospective, blinded study. SETTING: University hospital. PARTICIPANTS: 32 patients scheduled for elective cardiac surgery with CPB. INTERVENTION: Arterial blood samples were drawn four times: preoperatively, postinduction, and 10 minutes and 60 minutes after reversal of heparin with protamine. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) and prothrombin time (PT) were measured with a point-of-care system--CoaguChek Pro DM as well as with the Core Laboratory facility using a MD180 analyzer. A total of 128 consecutive paired analyses were conducted. There was very good agreement of the point-of-care-based monitoring of aPTT and PT with the Core Laboratory-based monitoring of aPTT and PT (positive correlations by linear regression analysis: r2 = 0.83 and 0.92, respectively). The turn-around time (time from blood sampling until availability of data for the anesthesiologists) was significantly shorter for the point-of-care system (averaging <10 min) than for the Core Laboratory system (averaging >30 min). CONCLUSION: CoaguChek Pro DM is a reliable and time-efficient point-of-care system for monitoring coagulation of patients undergoing CPB. The use of this system may improve patient care in this group through timely and accurate clinical decisions.
