Does anyone have any experience with implementing TEGs? We have a trauma doc that would like to see them being put into use here at our mid-sized L2 trauma hospital. I know that some places that use them have gone back and forth a bit over how they are used and whether they are run out of the Lab or ER/OR.

Supposedly if used appropriately, there is less waste of blood products for traumas and some surgeries when compared to relying on more routine coagulation testing. Has anyone documented a cost benefit?

Thanks, Scott

I set up two TEGs about 18 months ago. We have saved a bundle on blood products predominately for CABG surgeries. We operate them out of blood bank/hematology.

We have 4 TEGS, 2 run in Hematology (for Plavix monitoring) in the lab and 2 run by our Perfusion department in the CVOR. They have had TEGs at the facility for about 6-8 years?? Long before I joined. They went a long way to reducing the amount of product that was transfused during CABGs and other cardiac surgeries. I don't know about their use in Trauma it is not a quick test by any means taking about 1.5 hours to run a Plavix profile and I would estimate at least 45 minutes for a basic TEG (this is once we get the specimen). It is a fascinating instrument but not an easy test by any means. It is time consuming to set up and not conducive to multitasking.

We have just brought two TEGs into the Blood Bank for our Liver Transplant Program and need to establish a checklist/testing for CAP's Comparability Instrument/Method requirements. I'd like to know what you have done in your hospitals.

I wonder what are my chances of convincing my lab to bring in TEGs.