Injury is the second leading cause of death worldwide, and as much as 40% of injury-related mortality is attributed to uncontrollable hemorrhage
This persists despite establishment of regionalized trauma systems and advances in the management of severely injured patients
Trauma-induced coagulopathy(TIC) has been identified as the most common preventable cause of postinjury mortality
Hemostasis is the physiologic cessation of bleeding achieved by the fluid and cellular phases of clotting
In the critically injured patient, often in hemorrhagic shock, coagulopathy results from a hemostatic system that is challenged by physiologic extremis
This leads to dysfunctional thrombus formation and ultimately uncontrolled bleeding
Understanding the mechanisms of hemostasis that lead to an effective control of bleeding is key in order to reduce postinjury mortality