Normal values for thrombelastography (ROTEM (R)) and selected coagulation parameters in porcine blood

The pig is a suitable animal model for researching blood coagulation and fibrinolysis. The present study therefore aimed to investigate in porcine blood the applicability of commercially available tests of coagulation and thrombelastography (ROTEM (R)) and above all to determine normal values for coagulation parameters (e.g. prothrombin time (PT), activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT), thrombin-antithrombin complexes (TAT), fibrinogen, antithrombin III (AT III), D-dimers, protein C). Except for the FibTEM (R) and aPTT tests, all commercially available coagulation tests used were fully applicable for porcine blood. Normal values and reference intervals for porcine blood are given. As compared to the human reference intervals for the coagulation parameters investigated, porcine blood was found to be hypercoagulable. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.