8.1.1 Introduction

Some knowledge concerning issues about coagulation, anticoagulation and haemostasis is mandatory for the anaesthetist to manage appropriately challenging situations in cardiac surgery; any use of extracorporeal circuits involves anticoagulation of the patient, and because any surgery triggers a hypercoagulability reaction and an inflammatory syndrome proportional to the physiological stress of the procedure. In addition, many patients are on anticoagulants or antiplatelets therapy preoperatively, both in cardiac and non-cardiac surgery.

This chapter provides a brief overview of the information that is useful to the clinician in understanding coagulation phenomena and in controlling the issues related to anticoagulation in both cardiac and general surgery. It is straightforward linked to four other chapters of the Cardiac Anesthesia Textbook :

Chapter 07: Extracorporeal circulation;
Chapter 21: Congenital and Acquired Coagulopathies (Haematological Diseases);
Chapter 28: Blood Savings and Transfusion;
Chapter 29: Antiplatelets.