The contribution of the individual blood elements to the variability of thromboelastographic measures.

Interpretation of TEG variables is limited without knowledge of the concentration of the blood components present. When "normal" TEG values are known for a certain PLT-plasma-red blood cell concentration, the assay can be used to assess PLT and plasma function in coagulation. The TEG "functional fibrinogen" assay should be used only as a gross estimate of the fibrinogen concentration in whole blood.