Multidisciplinary perspective on the use of viscoelastic tests in clinical practice (part 1)
- 2025, Volume 2 - Number 2
- Published: September 1, 2025
Multidisciplinary perspective on the use of viscoelastic tests in clinical practice (part 1)
Sonia Veiras 1, Raquel Ferrandis 2, Pilar Paniagua 3, Azucena Pajares 2, Rosa Beltrao 4, Esther Méndez 5, Gabriel Yanes 6, Ma. Jesús Lorenzo 7, Fco. Javier Lirón 8, Ricardo Alonso 9, Cecilia Cueto-Felgueroso 10, Noelia Vilalta 11, Marta Barquero 12
1 Servicio de Anestesia, Hospital Clínico Universitario de Santiago, Santiago de Compostela, La Coruña, España; 2 Servicio de Anestesia, Hospital Universitario y Politécnico La Fe, Valencia, España; 3 Servicio de Anestesia, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Barcelona, España; 4 ervicio de Anestesia, Hospital Universitario Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona, Barcelona, España; 5 Servicio de Anestesia, Hospital Universitario de Bellvitge, L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, España; 6 Servicio de Anestesia, Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío, Sevilla, España; 7 Análisis Clínicos, Hospital Clínico Universitario de Vigo, Vigo, Pontevedra, España; 8 Área de Diagnóstico Biológico, Bioquímica, Hospital Universitario de La Ribera, Alzira, Valencia, España; 9 Laboratorio de urgencias, Hospital Universitario y Politécnico La Fe, Valencia, España; 10 Servicio de Análisis Clínicos-Bioquímica Clínica, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, Madrid, España; 11 Unidad de Hemostasia y Trombosis, Hematología, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Barcelona, España; 12 Unidad de Anestesiología, Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona, Barcelona. España
Sonia Veiras, Raquel Ferrandis, Pilar Paniagua, Azucena Pajares, Rosa Beltrao, Esther Méndez, Gabriel Yanes, Ma. Jesús Lorenzo, Fco. Javier Lirón, Ricardo Alonso, Cecilia Cueto-Felgueroso, Noelia Vilalta, Marta Barquero
La información completa de afiliaciones y autor de correspondencia está disponible en la versión original en PDF.
*Correspondence: Sonia Veiras. Email: veiras1@gmail.com
Summary
Viscoelastic tests (VET) or point-of-care coagulation (POCC) devices are key tools in hemorrhage management, especially in surgery, but their use is expanding to other fields such as obstetrics, ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation) patients, and burn victims. While their role in cardiac surgery, polytrauma, and liver transplantation is more established, evidence regarding their impact on mortality remains controversial. One of the main limitations is the lack of result validation, as VETs are not comparable to standard coagulation tests, showing significant variability (up to 83% in ROTEM®). Additionally, quality control is not always managed by the laboratory, which may affect reliability. Anesthesiology, laboratory medicine, and hematology are involved in their interpretation. This document, supported by scientific societies from these specialties, aims to provide a comprehensive perspective on their functionality, scientific evidence, implementation, quality control, and potential economic benefits.
Keywords: Viscoelastic tests. Thromboelastography. Thromboelastometry. Consensus.
