364 Review Article Can We Measure the Individual Prothrombotic or Prohemorrhagic Tendency by Global Coagulation Tests? Ã Ã Sara Reda1, Laure Morimont2,3, Jonathan Douxfils2,3 Heiko Rühl1 1 Institute of Experimental Hematology and Transfusion Medicine, Address for correspondence Heiko Rühl, MD, Institute of University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany Experimental Hematology and Transfusion Medicine, University of 2 Department of Pharmacy, Namur Thrombosis and Hemostasis Bonn, Venusberg-Campus 1, 53127 Bonn, Germany Center,UniversityofNamur,Namur,Belgium (e-mail:
[email protected]). 3 Qualiblood s.a., Namur, Belgium Hämostaseologie 2020;40:364–378. Abstract Hemostasis is a complex process in which abnormalities can cause shifts toward prothrombotic or prohemorrhagic states resulting in thrombosis or bleeding, respec- tively. Several coagulation tests may be required to characterize these defects but may yet not always reflect a patient’s true hemostatic capacity. Thus, global coagulation tests aiming to simulate the coagulation process in vitro instead of measuring single components thereof are certainly of interest to assess prothrombotic or prohemor- rhagic tendencies. This review describes the development and application of global Keywords coagulation tests, concentrating on the more widely used methods of viscoelastometry ► global coagulation and thrombin generation. A focus is placed on conditions characterized by simulta- tests neous changes of various components of hemostasis, such as anticoagulant therapy or ► hypercoagulability hormone-induced coagulopathy, in which global coagulation tests are especially ► bleeding promising. If the key challenges of standardization and automation of these tests ► anticoagulant drugs are solved, as is the case with automated thrombogram or clot waveform analysis, ► hormone-induced global coagulation assays will play an important role in the future of laboratory coagulopathy diagnostics of hemostasis and thrombosis.