[Acute management of bleeding complications and coagulation disorders in critically ill patients with liver cirrhosis].

Abstract

Critically ill patients with liver cirrhosis exhibit complex alterations in coagulation that should be considered in clinical acute management. As routine laboratory tests (e.g., INR, aPTT, platelet count) cannot always adequately reflect the coagulation status of critically ill patients with liver cirrhosis, functional hemostatic tests, such as viscoelastic tests, should also be used to assess coagulation disorders in these patients. If invasive procedures are planned, hemostatic interventions to prevent bleeding and measures to stabilize coagulation disorders should be considered depending on the risk of procedure-associated bleeding, while a prophylactic routine correction of abnormal laboratory coagulation parameters should be avoided. If an acute bleeding complication manifests in critically ill patients with liver cirrhosis, an individualized correction of hemostatic changes is indicated in addition to prompt identification of the source of bleeding. This review article describes the pathophysiological changes underlying the altered hemostatic system in critically ill patients with liver cirrhosis and provides an overview of diagnostic and therapeutic options for hemostatic complications.