Thrombelastography and Prevention of Venous Thromboembolism
Pulmonary embolism (PE) is a significant cause of preventable death in trauma patients. Even a deep vein thrombosis (DVT) causes substantial morbidity and negatively impacts quality of life. Life-threatening PE and debilitating DVT continue to be devastating complications that profoundly impact patients, health care providers, and the health care system. My research program aims to use a precision medicine approach for identifying trauma patients who are at increased risk for VTE by employing a simple blood test. Thrombelastography (TEG) was first described over 65 years ago; however, it has only recently been used as a point-of-care tool to evaluate both bleeding (coagulation factor deficiency and fibrinolysis) and clotting (thrombosis) abnormalities associated with trauma-induced coagulopathy.