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©Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2026. No commercial re-use. See Permissions. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc.
World J Crit Care Med. Mar 9, 2026; 15(1): 113889
Published online Mar 9, 2026. doi: 10.5492/wjccm.v15.i1.113889
Viscoelastic testing: Transforming hemostasis management in patients in the medical intensive care unit
Ecaterina Scarlatescu
Ecaterina Scarlatescu, Department of Anesthesia and Intensive Care, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest 050474, Romania
Ecaterina Scarlatescu, Department of Anesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine, Fundeni Clinical Institute, Bucharest 022328, Romania
Author contributions: Scarlatescu E conceived and designed the review, analyzed the data, and wrote the manuscript.
Conflict-of-interest statement: Scarlatescu E reports speaker fees from Werfen, CSL Behring Germany, Prisum Healthcare Romania, Vifor Pharma Romania, outside the submitted work.
Corresponding author: Ecaterina Scarlatescu, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor, Consultant, Department of Anesthesia and Intensive Care, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Eroii Sanitari 8, Bucharest 050474, Romania. ecaterina.scarlatescu@umfcd.ro
Received: September 5, 2025
Revised: September 26, 2025
Accepted: December 12, 2025
Published online: March 9, 2026
Processing time: 176 Days and 0.9 Hours
Core Tip

Core Tip: Viscoelastic testing (VET) provides rapid, whole-blood assessment of the entire coagulation process, offering a real-time and comprehensive evaluation that surpasses conventional coagulation tests in the medical intensive care unit. VET identifies hidden hypocoagulable and hypercoagulable states and fibrinolysis resistance, enabling targeted, precision-based therapies in diverse intensive care unit populations, including sepsis, coronavirus disease 2019, and liver disease. Despite technical and economic challenges, VET-guided management reduces unnecessary transfusions, optimizes resource utilization, and holds promise for integrating artificial intelligence to deliver individualized, advanced hemostatic care for patients who are critically ill.