Laboratory modalities for assessing hemostasis during cardiopulmonary bypass.

This discussion has outlined several simple and reliable test systems which have been found useful in assessing disorders of hemostasis in the hemorrhaging CPB patient. When these tests are utilized as described in the preceding article, they have been extremely helpful in studying hemostasis in the CPB patient to be reexplored; they are equally helpful to quickly render a differential diagnosis of altered hemostasis when hemorrhage occurs. In addition, several "special" procedures, the AT-III and heparin assays, have been reviewed; these have been found quite useful in special instances of CPB hemorrhage, and community cardiovascular teams may wish them to be available. This paper has not presumed to be "authoritative" with respect to the "best" tests for assessing CPB hemostasis, but rather has offered only an approach helpful to the authors. The intent has, however, been to provide guidelines for instituting simple, reliable, and workable procedures for the community hospital where CPB is now routinely performed.