Cleveland Clinic journal of medicine
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Cleve Clin J Med
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Cirrhosis has been regarded as a hypocoagulable state associated with an increased risk of bleeding. But patients with cirrhosis also have a high incidence of thrombotic complications, challenging this dogma. ⋯ Conventional coagulation tests such as the platelet count and prothrombin time do not assess the reduced anticoagulation factors in cirrhosis and overestimate the bleeding risk, and any intervention based on these test results can lead to thrombotic complications. This article reviews the changes in hemostasis associated with cirrhosis, newer tests for assessing coagulation, and preprocedural minimization of coagulopathy.