Trauma-induced coagulopathy upon emergency room arrival: still a significant problem despite increased awareness and management?

PURPOSE: Over the last decade, the pivotal role of trauma-induced coagulopathy has been described and principal drivers have been identified. We hypothesized that the increased knowledge on coagulopathy of trauma would translate into a more cautious treatment, and therefore, into a reduced overall incidence rate of coagulopathy upon ER admission.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: Between 2002 and 2013, 61,212 trauma patients derived from the TraumaRegister DGU® had a full record of coagulation parameters and were assessed for the presence of coagulopathy. Coagulopathy was defined by a Quick's value < 70% and/or platelet counts < 100,000/µl upon ER admission. For each year, the incidence of coagulopathy, the amount of pre-hospital administered i.v.-fluids and transfusion requirements were assessed.

RESULTS: Coagulopathy upon ER admission was present in 24.5% of all trauma patients. Within the years 2002-2013, the annual incidence of coagulopathy decreased from 35 to 20%. Even in most severely injured patients (ISS > 50), the incidence of coagulopathy was reduced by 7%. Regardless of the injury severity, the amount of pre-hospital i.v.-fluids declined during the observed period by 51%. Simultaneously, morbidity and mortality of severely injured patients were on the decrease.

CONCLUSION: During the 12 years observed, a substantial decline of coagulopathy has been observed. This was paralleled by a significant decrease of i.v.-fluids administered in the pre-hospital treatment. The reduced presence of coagulopathy translated into decreased transfusion requirements and mortality. Nevertheless, especially in the most severely injured patients, posttraumatic coagulopathy remains a frequent and life-threatening syndrome.