INTRAOPERATIVE MEASUREMENT OF ACTIVATED PARTIAL THROMBOPLASTIN TIME AND PROTHROMBIN TIME WITH A NEW COMPACT MONITOR

A prospective study was conducted to evaluate a new compact portable c oagulation monitor (Ciba-Corning Biotrack 512 Monitor), which enables the clinician to perform instantaneous activated partial thromboplasti n time (APTT) and prothrombin time (PT). 126 patients scheduled for he parinized and nonheparinized vascular surgery, and gynaecological surg ery, were included. A drop of capillary or venous whole blood was appl ied in disposable cartridges to successively perform APTT and PT, and the results of the tests were compared with conventional laboratory me thods, performed in two different laboratories (Lab. A and B). Compari sons between Lab. A. and Lab. B. enables determination of the bias, pr ecision, and percent of outliers (patients whose values differed more than 20%) in conventional methods. The reference value was defined as the mean of Lab. A. and Lab. B. values. For PT, there were no statisti cal differences between the capillary and venous samples performed wit h the portable monitor, and the reference value, for the bias, the pre cision and the proportion of outliers. For APTT, there were no statist ical differences between the capillary and venous samples performed wi th the portable monitor, and the reference value, for the bias and the precision. The percent of outliers, however, was significantly greate r with the venous sample of the compact monitor than with the referenc e (48 versus 22%), and even if it did not reach the statistical signif icance (P = 0.07) it was also higher with the capillary sample perform ed with the Ciba Monitor than with the reference (33%). In conclusion the assessment of blood coagulation using this new compact monitor cou ld be of major interest during the intraoperative period when immediat e results are mandatory, even if PT is more accurate than APTT with th is new method.