Correcting Coagulopathy With Fresh Frozen Plasma in the Surgical Intensive Care Unit: How Much Do We Need to Transfuse?

Introduction Thromboelastography (TEG) is an assay that assesses the coagulation status. Patients with prolonged reaction time (R) require fresh frozen plasma (FFP); however, the volume required to correct the R time is unknown. We sought to quantify the volume required to correct the R time and calculate the response ratio in our surgical intensive care unit (SICU) to allow for targeted resuscitation Methods Surgical intensive care unit patients between Aug 2017 and July 2019 with a prolonged initial R time and at least two TEG tests performed within 24 hours were included. The response ratio was defined as the change in the R time divided by the number of FFP units. High responders (response ratio >5 minutes/unit) were compared to low responders (response ratio ≤5 minutes/unit). Results Forty-six patients were included. While the mean response ratio was 5 minutes/unit, there was significant variation among patients. There were 28.0 (60.9%) low responders and 18.0 (39.1%) high responders. Low responders were more likely male (64.0% vs. 33.0%, P = .04), had a higher Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) IV score (42.0 vs. 27.0, P = .03), and a higher mortality rate (54.0% vs. 22.0%, P = .04). Conclusions On average, one unit of FFP corrects the R time by 5 minutes; however, there was significant variation between high and low responders. Male patients with higher APACHE IV score are expected to be low responders with a higher mortality rate. These findings can guide FFP transfusion and provide additional prognostication.