Influence of Human Factors on Coagulation Management in Cardiac Surgery: A Retrospective Analysis.

OBJECTIVES

To determine if the administration of coagulation products in cardiac surgery depends on the anesthesiologist's exposure/number of cases per year, being on-call the same night as the surgery, or sex.

DESIGN

A retrospective observational analysis.

SETTING

A single-center study.

PARTICIPANTS

Patients undergoing a wide range of cardiac surgeries.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN

RESULTS

A total of 8 cardiac anesthesiologists anesthetized 578 patients. Our findings showed substantial variation in individual administration rates of coagulation products. However, the more-exposed half of cardiac anesthesiologists (≥52 cases/y) did not exhibit a different transfusion rate of coagulation products than the less-exposed half (<52 cases/y) (p = 0.23). Additionally, no difference was found in the rates of coagulation product administration when on-call (p = 0.96). Interestingly, the 2 highest rates of administered coagulation products were among the 2 female anesthesiologists in the team.

CONCLUSIONS

No association between the number of cases performed per year and the administration of coagulation products was found. Likewise, being on-call showed no difference in the administration of coagulation products. The finding that the 2 female anesthesiologists had the 2 most liberal administration rates is noteworthy but, in regard to the small number of anesthesiologists, purely descriptive.