The military hospital at camp bastion Afghanistan is reputed to be the world's busiest trauma centre. Much has been learnt there in the field of managing massive haemorrhage, the protocols used by the military show a significantly higher survival rate than might be expected of such injuries. This article aims to explain the use of rotational thromboelastometry (ROTEM) monitoring and its role in reducing mortality in battle injured trauma patients.
AllcockE.C., WoolleyT., DoughtyH.2011The clinical outcome of UK military personnel who received a massive transfusion in Afghanistan during 2009Journal of the Royal Army Medical Corps157(4) 365–9
2.
BrohiK.2009Trauma induced coagulopathyJournal of the Royal Army Medical Corps155(4) 320–2
3.
CooperE.S., BraceyA.W., HorvathA.E.1994Practice Parameter for the use of fresh-frozen plasma, cryoprecipitate and plateletsJournal of the American Medical Association271(10) 777–81
4.
DunnC.J., GoaK.L.1999Tranexamic acid: a review of its use in surgery and other indicationsDrugs57(6) 1005–32
5.
GonzalezE A., MooreF.A., HolcombJ.B.2007Fresh frozen plasma should be given earlier to patients requiring massive transfusionJournal of Trauma62(1) 112–19
6.
HolcombJ.B., JenkinsD., RheeP.2007Damage control resuscitation: directly addressing the early coagulopathy of traumaJournal of Trauma62(2) 307–10
7.
KhanT.H.2013Transfusion, under-transfusion and over-transfusionAnaesthesia Pain and Intensive Care17(1) 1–3
8.
LevratA., GrosA., RugeriL.2008Evaluation of rotation thrombelastography for the diagnosis of hyperfibrinolysis in trauma patientsBritish Journal of Anaesthesia100(6) 792–7
9.
MidwinterM.J.2009Damage control surgery in the era of damage control resuscitationJournal of the Royal Army Medical Corps155(4) 323–6
10.
NessP.M., PerkinsH.A.1979Cryoprecipitate as a reliable source of fibrinogen replacementJournal of the American Medical Association241(16) 1690–1
11.
StainsbyD., MaclennanS., ThomasD.2006Guidelines on the management of massive blood lossBritish Journal of Haematology135(5) 634–41
12.
WalkerC., IngramM., EdwardsD., WoodP.2011Use of thromboelastometry in the assessment of coagulation before epidural insertion after massive transfusionAnaesthesia66(1) 52–5