The Lancashire Cardiac Centre, located at the Blackpool Victoria Hospital, has reported cost and patient benefits as a result of using point of care measurement of platelet function.
Cardiothoracic surgeons and anaesthetists are using Plateletworks (a testing kit from Horiba), to assess whether there are adequate levels of functioning platelets to facilitate haemostasis. This enables informed decision-making on the quantities of blood products and drugs needed to treat a patient’s condition. Performing platelet function assessments on patients who are bleeding post-operatively has enabled informed administration of appropriate blood products or drugs needed to treat the patient’s condition. Knowledge of platelet function is also enabling physicians at the centre to better assess patients on anti-platelet therapy (e.g. Clopidogrel) in need of urgent surgery, which means they can be operated on at the earliest safe opportunity. The test also allows perfusionists to evaluate new techniques, such as optimisation of the perfusion circuit to reduce platelet damage and subsequent need for transfusion. Mr Nidal Bittar, consultant cardiothoracic surgeon, commented: “By rapidly assessing platelet function we have noted a reduction in post-operative bleeding take backs. We have also been able to improve a patient’s journey, since we can address the cause of bleeding quickly without delay and we need only transfuse if absolutely necessary. Furthermore, we can protect low responders to anti-platelet therapy from risk of embolus during stent insertion procedures, for example.”
