Includes References

At the end of 2013, a group of Italian clinicians sharing a common interest in
hemostasis and coagulation in critically ill patients began meeting periodically (first in Padua, then in different locations). During these meetings, the
group agreed that there was a growing interest in point-of-care (POC) coagulation tests, as well as a great need for acquiring knowledge and expertise
from various clinicians involved in patient care in different fields, such as
cardiac surgery, intensive care unit, postpartum hemorrhage, liver surgery,
trauma, and other disciplines. At the beginning of 2014, this group was officially formed and named “INTACT” (the Italian Network to Address
Coagulopathy Treatment). To fulfill its educational role, the group decided it
was time to join efforts to create a single textbook addressing the use of POC
coagulation tests in different clinical scenarios. It was in fact clearly evident
that the information in this field was quite sparse and that all interested clinicians were forced to navigate through published articles, textbook chapters,
meeting sessions, and the Internet to find the information they needed.
Conversely, the INTACT group aimed to compile all relevant information
about POC coagulation tests in a single textbook, written both from a technical standpoint and a clinical point of view in regard to different clinical
scenarios.
The present textbook Point-of-Care Tests for Severe Hemorrhage: A
Manual for Diagnosis and Treatment is the result of the INTACT group’s
dedicated efforts toward this end. Each of the various chapters’ contributors
are clinicians who are involved daily in the clinical management of severe
hemorrhage in different areas, and while the content of this manual is based
primarily on existing evidence, it also includes valuable personal points of
view based on the authors’ daily clinical practice. For each clinical scenario,
the authors provide introductory notes on the specific aspects of the coagulopathy involved in severe hemorrhage determination, followed by the possible POC coagulation test applications as a guide for both diagnosis and
treatment.
The manual contains basic information on the general pathophysiology of
hemostasis and coagulation, as well as the historical and technical aspects of
practically all existing POC coagulation tests, with specific reference to viscoelastic tests and platelet function tests.
Five clinical scenarios are addressed in individual chapters: intensive care
unit, cardiovascular surgery, postpartum hemorrhage, trauma, and liver
surgery. Additionally, the treatment strategies (blood derivatives and prohemostatic drugs) are discussed and the effects of antithrombotic drugs
assessed. Lastly, the manual offers valuable insights into clinical cases drawn
from the authors’ actual experiences.
We thank all those who contributed to this manual and hope that the
INTACT group’s efforts have fulfilled its aim of successfully contributing to
a better understanding of this evolving topic.