An increased prothrombin time-international normalized ratio in patients with acute type A aortic dissection: contributing factors and their influence on outcomes

Purpose We investigated factors contributing to coagulopathy in patients with acute type A aortic dissection (ATAAD) and coagulopathy’s influence on patient outcomes. Methods We grouped 420 patients who underwent ATAAD repair—none under anticoagulation therapy or with liver disease—by the prothrombin time-international normalized ratio (PT-INR) at admission: < 1.2 (no coagulopathy, n = 371), 1.2–1.49 (mild coagulopathy, n = 33), or ≥ 1.5 (severe coagulopathy, n = 16). We then compared the clinical presentation, dissection morphology, and outcomes among the groups. We assessed the PT-INR in relation to the preoperative hemodynamics and searched for factors predictive of a PT-INR ≥ 1.2. Results The transfusion volume and operation time were increased among patients with coagulopathy ( P < 0.05). The in-hospital mortality (15.2–37.5% vs. 5.1%, P < 0.001) and 5-year survival (61.1–74.4% vs. 87.6%) were relatively poor for these patients. The median PT-INR was 1.03 (0.97–1.1) for patients with stable hemodynamics ( n = 318), 1.11 (1.02–1.21) for those in shock (blood pressure < 80 mmHg) not given cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) ( n = 81), and 1.1 (1.0–1.54) for those in shock given CPR ( n = 21) ( P < 0.001). A multivariable analysis identified shock ( P < 0.001), a partially thrombosed false lumen ( P = 0.006), and mesenteric malperfusion ( P = 0.016) as predictive variables. Conclusions Shock, a partially thrombosed false lumen, and mesenteric malperfusion appear to be predictive of dissection-related coagulopathy, which influences outcomes negatively.