Standard coagulation tests are superior to thromboelastometry in predicting outcome of patients with liver cirrhosis

BACKGROUND AND AIMS Thromboelastometry (TEM) is superior to standard coagulation tests in the management of bleedings / invasive procedures in patients with liver cirrhosis. In contrast, the role of TEM as a prognostic parameter in liver cirrhosis is not well established. We therefore aimed to assess the role of TEM in predicting survival of outpatients with liver cirrhosis. METHODS TEM was performed in consecutive outpatients with liver cirrhosis admitted in 2018 and 2019 to the University Hospital Essen. Associations with transplant-free survival were assessed in regression models. RESULTS A number of 145 outpatients with liver cirrhosis were included, of whom 27 received a liver transplant (N = 7) or died (N = 20) within 6 months of follow-up. None of the TEM values was associated with transplant-free survival in this cohort. However, as expected, the classical coagulation tests INR (OR = 8.69 (95% CI 1.63-46.48), P = 0.01), PTT (OR = 1.15 (95% CI 1.04-1.27), P<0.01), as well as antithrombin (OR = 0.96 (95% CI 0.94-0.99), P<0.01), and protein C (OR = 0.96 (95% CI 0.92-0.99), P<0.01) were significantly associated with transplant-free survival. CONCLUSION In contrast to the superiority of TEM over classical coagulation tests to guide transfusion of blood products in patients with liver cirrhosis, TEM has no relevance in predicting mortality in outpatients with liver cirrhosis.