The Role of Rotational Thromboelastometry in High-Risk-of-Bleeding Endoscopic Procedures in Patients with Decompensated Liver Cirrhosis.

Background/

Objectives

This study aimed to evaluate the differences between two blood product transfusion protocols [a standard coagulation (SC) group and a rotational thromboelastometry (ROTEM) group] in patients with decompensated liver cirrhosis (LC) undergoing high-bleeding-risk endoscopic procedures.

Methods

Between December 2024 and March 2025, we conducted a prospective cohort study including adult decompensated cirrhotic patients who needed prophylactic blood product transfusion before high-bleeding-risk endoscopic procedures. The prophylactic blood product transfusion strategy in the SC group was based on conventional coagulation tests (INR, platelets, and fibrinogen), and in the ROTEM group on viscoelastic parameters.

Results

A total of 72 patients were included in this study (36 patients in each group); most were male (63.9%), Child-Pugh B (54.2%), and had LC with a predominance of alcoholic etiology (51.4%). There were no clinically significant differences regarding the baseline characteristics between the study groups. The most frequent endoscopic procedure was polypectomy (76.4%). Postinterventional bleeding occurred after eight procedures in the SC group and after four procedures in the ROTEM group (p = 0.206). Endoscopic hemostasis was effective. Patients from the ROTEM group received fewer FFP transfusions than the SC group (5.6% vs. 69.4%; p < 0.0001). Blood product transfusion was needed less in patients evaluated using ROTEM compared with the SC group (41.2% vs. 100%; p < 0.0001). There were no differences in the length of hospital stay (p = 0.618) or 30-day mortality (p = 0.643) between the two study groups.

Conclusions

ROTEM-guided transfusion management was associated with a significant reduction in blood product use compared with standard coagulation test-based management. However, this difference should be interpreted in the context of the distinct transfusion thresholds applied in the two groups, as the standard coagulation arm followed predefined laboratory-based criteria that may have increased the likelihood of prophylactic transfusion. No statistically significant differences were observed in bleeding complications, length of hospital stay, or 30-day mortality. Therefore, these findings reflect differences in transfusion strategies rather than demonstrating clinical superiority of ROTEM-based management and should be considered preliminary.