Användning och nytta med analys av tromboelastografi (TEG) hos sjuka hundar

Abstract: Background: Hemostasis is a complex system involving both cells and soluble factors in plasma. Disruption of this system may lead to either an increased risk of bleeding or an increased risk of thrombosis. The traditional hemostasis test is focused on analyzing a specific part of this system, such as coagulation factors. Assessment of the global hemostasis, based solely on traditional tests can be misleading, as they provide no information about the interaction between the blood components to maintain hemostasis together. Thromboelastography (TEG) is a method performed on whole blood that analyses the interaction of blood components important to hemostasis. The output is a graph that illustrates the hemostatic dynamics over time. Objectives: The objective of this study was to investigate for which indications dogs at the small animal clinic, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences are sampled for TEG and the results and practical consequences of the analyses. An additional objective was to correlate the TEG with more traditional hemostasis analyzes, for example as platelet count, aPTT/PT and Ddimers when these was available. Methods: For this study, data from 176 dogs tested for TEG at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences between 2015-2016 have been used. Based on the records, patients were divided into main groups based on why the veterinarian chose to order a TEG and how the results were used. The material has also been evaluated based on the dogs respectively coagulation profiles. Results: The most common indication for TEG analysis in dogs was the assessment of critically ill patients, and the need for treatment with blood or plasma products. Other indications included assessment prior to surgical procedures, and diagnostic guidance of dogs with increased bleeding. Hypercoagulability was the most common coagulation profile in the dogs. Conclusions: Thromboelastography can provide valuable information of the hemostatic status in dogs that are critical ill, prior surgical treatment or evaluation of hemostatic disorders. The most common coagulation profile in the patient group was hypercoagulability, which may be due to a high proportion of inflammatory-affected dogs tested and included in the study.