Clinical Application of Thromboelastography in Patients With Severe Fever With Thrombocytopenia Syndrome

Abstract

Aim To investigate the clinical application of thromboelastography (TEG) in severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS). Methods One hundred and fifty-seven patients with SFTS were included in the study. The participants were distributed into 3 groups; A, B, and C. And 103 patients in group A met the clinical criteria as they exhibited slight liver and kidney dysfunction. Group B consisted of 54 patients with SFTS who were critically ill while group C was a healthy control group with 58 participants. Results Patients with SFTS exhibited lower coagulation than the healthy participants. Group B patients exhibited significantly lower coagulation compared to group A. There was no significant difference in platelet count and fibrinogen content between patients in group A and group B, but platelet aggregation function and fibrinogen activity were significantly lower in group B patients. Conclusion Our results suggest that it is risky to solely rely on platelet count and the fibrinogen in SFTS. Monitoring of TEG and other coagulation indexes should be emphasized.