Viscoelastic Coagulation Monitor as a Novel Device to Assess Coagulation at the Bedside. A Single-Center Experience During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Viscoelastic coagulation monitor (VCM) is a portable device developed to evaluate the viscoelastic properties of whole blood activated by contact with glass. In this study, VCM was employed to analyze the viscoelastic profiles of 36 COVID-19 intensive care patients. Full anticoagulant dose heparin (unfractionated [UFH]; low molecular weight [LMWH]) was administrated to all patients. The association between VCM and laboratory parameters was retrospectively analyzed. The administration of UFH-influenced VCM parameters prolonging clotting time (CT) and clot formation time (CFT) and reducing angle (alpha) and amplitudes of the VCM tracings (A10, A20, and maximum clot firmness [MCF]) compared with LMWH therapy. A tendency toward hypercoagulation was observed by short CT and CFT in patients receiving LMWH. Clotting time was correlated with UFH dose (Spearman’s rho = 0.48, p ≤ 0.001), and no correlation was found between CT and LMWH. All VCM tracings failed to show lysis at 30 and 45 minutes, indicating the absence of fibrinolysis. A10, A20, and MCF exhibited very-good to good diagnostic accuracy for detecting platelet count and fibrinogen above the upper reference limit of the laboratory. In conclusion, VCM provided reliable results in COVID-19 patients and was easy to perform with minimal training at the bedside.