Development of Reference Intervals for the TEG 6s, a Point-of-Care Viscoelastic Assay, in Dogs.

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Thromboelastography (TEG) provides a global assessment of hemostasis and identifies patients with both hemorrhagic and thrombotic tendencies. Traditional TEG instruments, such as the TEG 5000 (Haemonetics), can be labor-intensive and require specialized training to operate. The TEG 6s (Haemonetics) is a commercially available point-of-care TEG that employs a cartridge-based system. Agreement between the TEG 6s and TEG 5000 is poor in dogs, and their viscoelastic measurements are not interchangeable. Reference intervals specific to the TEG 6s are needed for healthy adult dogs. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to establish reference intervals for the TEG 6s in healthy adult dogs. METHODS: Citrated whole blood samples collected from 40 healthy adult dogs were analyzed using the TEG 6s and associated global hemostasis and lysis cartridges. Reference intervals were established using a nonparametric statistical method for all variables except for the Functional Fibrinogen level in the global hemostasis cartridge. RESULTS: Reference intervals were established for 12 TEG 6s measurands in healthy adult dogs. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study provide reference intervals for TEG 6s variables associated with the global hemostasis and lysis cartridges in healthy adult dogs. Further studies are required to assess TEG 6s' utility in dogs with various disease states.