Impact of Retrograde Autologous Priming on the Coagulation Profile Assessed by Rotation Thromboelastometry (ROTEM) in Patients Undergoing Cardiac Surgery

Cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) is associated with an increased risk of blood transfusions. The primary setup of the CPB circuit demands a priming volume of approximately 1600 mL of crystalloid solution which leads to a relevant hemodilution. The retrograde autologous priming (RAP) procedure minimizes hemodilution by displacing the crystalloid priming volume of arterial and venous lines via passive exsanguination of native blood prior to CPB initiation, resulting in higher hematocrits and reduction of red blood cell transfusion. RAP can also minimize the dilution of coagulation factors as well as red blood cells. Thus, the investigators hypothesized that RAP could maintain better coagulatory function after CPB. In this study, the investigators investigate the impact of RAP on the coagulation profile assessed by rotation thromboelastometry (ROTEM) in participants undergoing cardiac surgery.