Page 67 - ANZCP Gazette May 2023

Quantra parameters aid goal-directed blood managem
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Novel POC viscoelastic testing device delivers resu
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The Quantra® haemostasis analyser provides easy to interpret information on a patient’s coagulation status. Time is critical in the diagnosis and management of acute bleeding. The system delivers results within 5-15 minutes – all at the point-of-care. The moment the results start to appear on the Quantra screen, you can act upon the data. There is no need to decipher complex curves.
This helps to reduce the time between diagnostics and haemostatic intervention, minimising clinical complications linked to bleeding and transfusions. Even if a VET device is in your operating theatre, without confidence in using the device and being able to quickly interpret the results, clinical teams may still transfuse empirically.
New treatment algorithms
Quantra changes this as results can be integrated into a Quantra-guided haemostatic algorithm to ensure consistency in decision-making when managing patient bleeding1. This is exactly what the Wolverhampton heart and lung centre at New Cross has done, after working with Quantra for over a year.
As Steve Robins, the lead perfusionist at New Cross, explained: “I would say you need an easy-to-use algorithm because you want people to have confidence, to think: ‘This dial says this, so I need to order that’, and from our current experience this seems to be working well.”
And his anaesthetist colleague Dr Mario Ferrante agrees: “It is very straightforward to understand - and because the surgeons are more involved in the process, they buy in to it more. Now we are using Quantra to provide the data, we can see how much more confident they are in their decision-making.”
References
1) Ferrante EA, Blasier KR, Givens TB, et al : A novel device for the evaluation of haemostatic function in critical care setting. Anesth. Analg. 2016
Quantra is the first viscoelastic testing (VET) device to directly quantify the Platelet Contribution to Clot Stiffness (PCS) and it does so by directly measuring the clot’s elasticity rather than amplitude. The PCS parameter accounts for both platelet count and the platelets’ ability to aggregate, contract, and contribute to clot strengthening .
Measures clot stiffness on bypass
The Quantra QPlus cartridge provides the multidisciplinary team (MTD) with six parameters of
which PCS is one of two unique measures. These are: clot time with and without heparinase (CT and CTH), clot stiffness (CS) and fibrinogen contribution to clot stiffness (FCS).
The two further unique parameters are then automatically calculated: clot time ratio (CTR), and platelet contribution to clot stiffness (PCS). Unlike some other systems, the QPlus clot stiffness parameters can be measured whilst the patient is under full heparinisation.
Quantra’s Ease of Interpretation
Unlike existing VET devices, the Quantra offers a fundamentally different approach to interpreting results by way of an intuitive dials display. The system outputs the six parameters, and with minimal training, clinicians are able to correctly interpret results displayed on the dials display.
Stago ANZ, Suite G2, 351 Burwood Highway, Forest Hill, 3131 VIC Australia
“[Quantra] helps the decision tree because it's a rapid test with a rapid result. If you need to give blood products, you need to order them
quickly,” Stephen Robins, lead perfusionist, New Cross Hospital
www.quantrapocsolutioMnA.cYo2m023 | www.anzcp.org
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