Thrombin Generation During Cardiopulmonary Bypass With Titrated Versus Conventional Anticoagulation Management.

Cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) allows cardiac surgery to be performed on a motionless, bloodless heart while maintaining circulation to the rest of the body. Anticoagulation with heparin prevents the body's clotting system from being activated when blood comes into contact with the walls of the bypass circuit. The amount of heparin given to achieve this effect is determined on a weight-based dosing and monitored with a point-of-care monitor called ACT (activated clotting time). However, there remains a high level of variability in the concentration of heparin in the blood and the ACT is affected by hypothermia and dilution of the blood, both of which commonly occur during CPB for cardiac surgery.

The Hemostasis Management System (HMS Plus) offers an alternative way of dosing and monitoring heparin by aiming to achieve a pre-determined heparin concentration throughout CPB, rather than being determined by the ACT. It also aims to determine the dose of protamine, the drug used to reverse heparin at the end CPB, required based on residual heparin concentration rather than on a 1:1 ratio of the total dose of heparin given which is the common current practice. The benefits of using this system are proposed to be more effective anticoagulation during CPB meaning less of the body's reserves of clotting factors are consumed. This could mean potentially less bleeding and decrease requirement of blood products following surgery.