Burn Patients with TBSA ≤ 30% Display Whole Blood Hypercoagulablility 14 days’ Post Trauma

Introduction: The aim of this study was to investigate baseline and 14 days prospective changes in viscoelastic whole blood coagulation by thromboelastography (TEG) in patients with moderate and severe burns corresponding to ≥ 10 % total body surface area (TBSA). Methods: 13 patients with burns ≥ 10% were included in the study. TEG analysis and standard coagulation parameters as APTT, INR, platelet count, and fibrinogen were carried out at admission and the following 14 days. Results: Most TEG variables changed in a hypercoagulable direction the first 2 weeks following burn injury. a values increased (p<0.0004) from post burn day one 54 degrees to 69 degrees’ day seven. MA increased (p<0.05) from 62 mm at day one to 73 mm at day five. K values decreased (p<0.03) from 2.9 minutes at day one to 1.9 minutes at post burn day three. MTG (p<0.005) started at 15994 mm*100/sec at day one and increased to 30549 mm*100/sec at post burn day eight. All remained significant until day 14. R, Ly-30 and TMG did not change in the observation period. In contrast APTT increased (p<0.05) from 25.8 sec. to 30.2 sec. in six days. Fibrinogen increased from 11.55mmol/L to 20.37 mmol/L day six (p<0.05) and INR decreased from 1.17 to 1.05 day five (p< 0.02). Conclusion: Burn patients with TBSA ≤ 30% and who are not subject to surgical intervention are in a hypercoagulable state detected by whole blood viscoelastic haemostatic assays TEG that extended 2 weeks post injury.