Point-of-care assessment of hypothermia and protamine-induced platelet dysfunction with multiple electrode aggregometry (Multiplate®) in patients undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass.

Background: Coagulopathy is common after cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB), and platelet dysfunction is frequently considered to be a major contributor to excessive bleeding. Exposure to hypothermia may exacerbate the platelet function defect. We assessed platelet function during and after deep hypothermia with multiple electrode aggregometry (Multiplate(®); Verum Diagnostica GmbH, Munich, Germany).