A retrospective register study comparing fibrinogen treated trauma patients with an injury severity score matched control group

Hemostatic effect of fibrinogen concentrate on traumatic massive hemorrhage: a propensity score matching study

Background

Fibrinogen concentrate (FC) can be administered during massive transfusions to manage trauma-induced coagulopathy. However, its effectiveness in survival remains inconclusive due to scarce high-level evidence. This study aimed to investigate the hemostatic effects of FC regarding mortality in massive hemorrhage caused by trauma.

Methods

This retrospective study analyzed 839 patients who received massive transfusions (red blood cells (RBCs) ≥5 units in 4 hours or ≥10 units in 24 hours) at a level I trauma center between 2015 and 2022. Patients who were transferred to other hospitals or were deceased upon arrival, suffered or died from severe brain injury, and were aged 15 years or less were excluded (n=334). 1:2 propensity score matching was performed to compare the 'FC (+)' group who had received FC in 24 hours (n=68) with those who had not ('FC (-)', n=437). The primary outcome was mortality, and the secondary outcomes included transfusion volume.

Results

The variables for matching included vital signs, injury characteristics, prehospital time, implementation of resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta, and blood gas analysis results. The administration of FC did not significantly reduce or predict mortality (in-hospital, 24 hours, 48 hours, or 7 days). The FC (-) group received more units of RBC (25.69 units vs. 16.71 units, p<0.001, standardized mean difference [SMD] 0.595), fresh frozen plasma (16.79 units vs. 12.91 units, p=0.023, SMD 0.321), and platelets (8.76 units vs. 5.46 units, p=0.002, SMD 0.446) than the FC (+) group.

Conclusion

The use of FC did not show survival benefits but reduced transfusion requirements in traumatic massive hemorrhages, highlighting a need for future investigations. In the future, individualized goal-directed transfusion with FC may play a significant role in treating massive bleeding.

Level of evidence

IV, retrospective study having more than one negative criterion.

The role of fibrinogen in traumatic brain injury: from molecular pathological mechanisms to clinical management

Fibrinogen is the substrate of plasma coagulation. It plays an important role in the formation of reticular network, which is crucial to the strength and stability of blood clots. In addition to directly participating in coagulation, fibrinogen also participates in the destruction of blood-brain barrier and neuroinflammation. This article reviews the pathophysiological changes of fibrinogen after traumatic brain injury. Considerable efforts have been made to understand the mechanisms by which fibrinogen damages the central nervous system. Combined with the latest research hotspots, potentially promising treatment strategies at the molecular level were discussed. We believe that understanding the role of fibrinogen-mediated damage in nerve and blood-brain barrier function will enable timely intervention in patients with nerve damage, and guide the development of novel targeted therapeutics.

Etiology and management of hypofibrinogenemia in trauma

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Fibrin polymerization is essential for stable clot formation in trauma, and hypofibrinogenemia reduces hemostasis in trauma. This review considers fibrinogen biology, the changes that fibrinogen undergoes after major trauma, and current evidence for lab testing and treatment.

RECENT FINDINGS

Fibrinogen is a polypeptide that is converted to fibrin by the action of thrombin. During trauma, fibrinogen levels are consumed and reduce within the first few hours because of consumption, dilution, and fibrinolysis. Fibrinogen levels usually rebound within 48 hours of injury and can contribute to thrombotic events. The Clauss fibrinogen assay is the gold standard test for fibrinogen levels, although viscoelastic hemostatic assays are often used when a lab delay is anticipated. An evidence-based threshold for fibrinogen replacement is not well established in the literature, but expert opinion recommends maintaining a level above 150 mg/dl.

SUMMARY

Hypofibrinogenemia is an important cause of nonanatomic bleeding in trauma. Despite multiple pathologic causes, the cornerstone of treatment remains fibrinogen replacement with cryoprecipitate or fibrinogen concentrates.

The European guideline on management of major bleeding and coagulopathy following trauma: sixth edition

BACKGROUND

Severe trauma represents a major global public health burden and the management of post-traumatic bleeding continues to challenge healthcare systems around the world. Post-traumatic bleeding and associated traumatic coagulopathy remain leading causes of potentially preventable multiorgan failure and death if not diagnosed and managed in an appropriate and timely manner. This sixth edition of the European guideline on the management of major bleeding and coagulopathy following traumatic injury aims to advise clinicians who care for the bleeding trauma patient during the initial diagnostic and therapeutic phases of patient management.

METHODS

The pan-European, multidisciplinary Task Force for Advanced Bleeding Care in Trauma included representatives from six European professional societies and convened to assess and update the previous version of this guideline using a structured, evidence-based consensus approach. Structured literature searches covered the period since the last edition of the guideline, but considered evidence cited previously. The format of this edition has been adjusted to reflect the trend towards concise guideline documents that cite only the highest-quality studies and most relevant literature rather than attempting to provide a comprehensive literature review to accompany each recommendation.

RESULTS

This guideline comprises 39 clinical practice recommendations that follow an approximate temporal path for management of the bleeding trauma patient, with recommendations grouped behind key decision points. While approximately one-third of patients who have experienced severe trauma arrive in hospital in a coagulopathic state, a systematic diagnostic and therapeutic approach has been shown to reduce the number of preventable deaths attributable to traumatic injury.

CONCLUSION

A multidisciplinary approach and adherence to evidence-based guidelines are pillars of best practice in the management of severely injured trauma patients. Further improvement in outcomes will be achieved by optimising and standardising trauma care in line with the available evidence across Europe and beyond.

Congenital (hypo-)dysfibrinogenemia and bleeding: A systematic literature review

Ranging from bleeding to thrombosis, the clinical features of congenital fibrinogen qualitative disorders, including dysfibrinogenemia and hypodysfibrinogenemia, are highly heterogeneous. Although the associations between some specific fibrinogen mutations and the thrombotic phenotypes have been well elucidated, the underlying mechanism between fibrinogen variants and bleeding events remains underestimated. After systematically reviewing the literature of (hypo-)dysfibrinogenemia patients with bleeding phenotypes, we identified several well-characterized bleeding-related fibrinogen variants in those patients. Several possible pathomechanisms are proposed to explain the genotype-phenotype associations: 1, mutations in the NH₂-terminal portion of the Aα chain hamper fibrinogen fitting into the active site cleft of thrombin and drastically slow the conversion of fibrinogen into monomeric fibrin; 2, mutations adding new N-linked glycosylation sites introduce bulky and negatively charged carbohydrate side chains and undermine the alignment of fibrin monomers during polymerization; 3, mutations generating unpaired cysteine form extra disulfide bonds between the abnormal fibrinogen chains and produce highly branched and fragile fibrin networks; 4, truncation mutations in the fibrinogen αC regions impair the lateral fibril aggregation, as well as factor XIII crosslinking, endothelial cell and platelet binding. These established relationships between specific variants and the bleeding tendency will help manage (hypo-)dysfibrinogenemia patients to avoid adverse bleeding outcomes.

Use of fibrinogen concentrate for trauma-related bleeding: A systematic-review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Trauma-induced coagulopathy contributes to significant morbidity and mortality in patients who experience trauma-related bleeding. This study aimed to synthesize the evidence supporting the efficacy and safety of preemptive and goal-directed fibrinogen concentrate (FC) in the management of trauma-related hemorrhage.

METHODS

PubMed, Medline, EMBASE, Web of Science, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, ClinicalTrials.gov, and the WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform were systematically searched. All trial designs, except individual case reports, which evaluated the preemptive or goal-directed use of FC for trauma-related bleeding/coagulopathy, in patients older than 16 years, were included in the systematic review. For the included randomized controlled trials comparing FC with control, meta-analysis was performed and a risk-of bias-assessment was completed using the Cochrane Methodology and Preferred Reporting Items Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis guidelines.

RESULTS

A total of 2,743 studies were identified; 26 were included in the systematic review, and 5 randomized controlled trials (n = 238) were included in the meta-analysis. For the primary outcome of mortality, there was no statistically significant difference between the groups, with 22% and 23.4% in the FC and comparator arms, respectively (risk ratio, 1.00 [95% confidence interval, 0.39 to 2.56]; p = 0.99). In addition, there was no statistical difference between FC and control in packed red blood cell, fresh frozen plasma, or platelet transfusion requirements, and thromboembolic events. Overall, the quality of evidence was graded as low to moderate because of concerns with risk of bias, imprecision, and inconsistency.

CONCLUSION

Further high-quality, adequately powered studies are needed to assess the impact of FC in trauma, with a focus on administration as early as possible from the point of entry into the trauma system of care.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Systematic review and Meta-analysis, level II.

Rotational thromboelastometry results are associated with care level in COVID-19

High prevalence of thrombotic events in severely ill COVID-19 patients have been reported. Pulmonary embolism as well as microembolization of vital organs may in these individuals be direct causes of death. The identification of patients at high risk of developing thrombosis may lead to targeted, more effective prophylactic treatment. The primary aim of this study was to test whether rotational thromboelastometry (ROTEM) at admission indicates hypercoagulopathy and predicts the disease severity, assessed as care level, in COVID-19 patients. The study was designed as a prospective, observational study where COVID-19 patients over 18 years admitted to hospital were eligible for inclusion. Patients were divided into two groups depending on care level: (1) regular wards or (2) wards with specialized ventilation support. Conventional coagulation tests, blood type and ROTEM were taken at admission. 60 patients were included; age 61 (median), 67% men, many with comorbidities (e.g. hypertension, diabetes). The ROTEM variables Maximum Clot Firmness (EXTEM-/FIBTEM-MCF) were higher in COVID-19 patients compared with in healthy controls (p < 0.001) and higher in severely ill patients compared with in patients at regular wards (p < 0.05). Our results suggest that hypercoagulopathy is present early in patients with mild to moderate disease, and more pronounced in severe COVID-19 pneumonia. Non-O blood types were not overrepresented in COVID-19 positive patients. ROTEM variables showed hypercoagulopathy at admission and this pattern was more pronounced in patients with increased disease severity. If this feature is to be used to predict the risk of thromboembolic complications further studies are warranted.