Point of Care testing in the perioperative arena is a high priority topic, specifically in cardiac surgery where a majority of perioperative blood transfusions occur. Platelet function in particular is of interest in cardiac surgery as cardiopulmonary bypass itself creates known platelet dysfunction, but also because more and more patients are on antiplatelet agents due to coronary stenting procedures. This review will focus on presenting current data relating to platelet function in the perioperative setting, along with a brief review of general coagulation concepts. Drug Dev Res 74 : 418-427, 2013.