Background: Routine coagulation tests do not necessarily reflect haemostasis in vivo in cirrhotic patients, particularly those who have bleeding varices. Thrombelastography (TEG) can provide a global assessment of haemostatic function from initial clot formation to clot dissolution.
Aim: To evaluate TEG changes in cirrhotic patients with variceal bleeding and their association with early rebleeding.
Patients/methods: Twenty cirrhotic patients with active variceal bleeding had serial TEG and routine coagulation tests daily for seven days. The TEG variables before the day of rebleeding (n = 6) were compared with those of patients without rebleeding (n = 14).
Results: Baseline characteristics of the rebleeding and non-rebleeding groups were comparable apart from a higher incidence of uncontrolled infection on the day of rebleeding in the rebleeding group (p = 0.007). The patients in the rebleeding group were more hypocoagulable before the day of rebleeding as shown by longer r (42 v 24 mm, p < 0.001) and k (48 v 13 mm, p < 0.001) and smaller a (12 v 38 degrees, p < 0.001) compared with the mean of daily results of the non-rebleeding group. Routine coagulation tests, however, showed no significant differences between the two groups.
Conclusion: The results of serial TEG measurements suggest that hypocoagulability may be associated with early rebleeding in cirrhotic patients.