Clinical aspects of coagulation

Anaesthetists are often confronted with complex clinical scenarios, including coagulopathies. Knowledge and understanding of the coagulation cascade, pathways of haemostasis and common inherited and acquired disease are essential for clinical decision making. An overview of clinical aspects of coagulation, with the most recent therapeutic and monitoring strategies, is presented. Brief discussions on disseminated intravascular coagulopathy (DIC), heparin induced thrombocytopenia (HIT), thrombelastography and recombinant factor VIIa are included.