Goal-Directed Massive Transfusion Management

Trauma is the leading cause of death under age 40 worldwide and the leading cause of life-years lost under the age of 65 in the United States [1, 2]. Uncontrolled hemorrhage is the leading cause of preventable death following trauma and the overall most common early cause of death, making it the obvious target to reduce mortality [3, 4]. Furthermore, the median time to death from bleeding is <3 hours [5] emphasizing the necessity for prompt intervention for trauma-induced coagulopathy (TIC). On the other hand, blood components have potential adverse physiologic consequences and are expensive; therefore, components should be administered only when needed.