Agreements between the prothrombin times of blood treated In Vitro with heparinase during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) and blood sampled after CPB and systemic protamine.

The prothrombin time (PT) is useful for identifying coagulation factor deficits after cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). However, long processing times and the need for fresh frozen plasma (FFP) to be thawed cause delays in factor replacement. We hypothesized that, by treating with heparinase, blood sampled toward the end of CPB can provide PT results that help to determine the requirement for FFP after CPB. Laboratory delays can be eliminated with …