All Posts

Hemophilia Therapeutics Discontinued

Thank you to Elaine Benoit, Precision BioLogic Inc, for this heads-up. Today, 22 March 2025, Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc announced it has discontinued the production of therapeutics HEMOFIL M® and RECOMBINATE®, both among the first of the synthetic FVIII concentrates. The factors, which required the use of sterile human serum albumin in their manufacture, remain […]

Bleeding Disorders

ASCLS Oregon & Washington Spring Seminar

Click here to access the American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science ASCLS-OR, ASCLS-WA Virtual Spring Seminar, April 3–4, 2025. On Friday, April 4, 8–9 PDT, George presents “Have we Cured Hemophilia?” To download your copy of the presentation handout, click ASCLS WA-OR Hemophilia Handout 6PP 4-4-25. We look forward to your live attendance for this […]

Bleeding Disorders

Mixing Studies; Rosner Index

From Dr. Aliaa Mohamed Amer, Senior Consultant Hematopathologist, Hamad Medical Corporation, Qatar: What is the value of calculating the Rosner index on the incubated plasma 1:1 mix (patient and control)? Does the cut-off used for the direct mix apply to the incubated mix? My understanding is that the Rosner index is primarily useful for the detection of […]

More on CAP Specimen Requirements

In follow-up to my February 25, 2025 post, New CAP Survey Coag POC Requirements, I asked Dr. Andrew Goodwin, “Does CAP address courier specimen management? I see specimens collected at regional clinics that stand in a door-mounted specimen box for extended periods. I also wonder whether couriers have equipment maintaining coag specimen temperatures between 18 […]

March 2025 Cheat Sheet

Click here for your March 2025 Cheat Sheet or await your copy to arrive by email on or after March 3. If you would like to join the Cheat Sheet mailing list, enter your name and email address in the right-hand column.

March 2025 Quick Question: LAC Testing

The March 2025 QQ is now available to answer, it is a poll to learn how we perform lupus anticoagulant testing. If you have an alternative, please answer in the Comments section below.

February 2025 Quick Question: FXIII Deficiency

Our February 2025 QQ was a quiz that asked, “What factor deficiency is associated with poor wound healing?” The question attracted 60 participants who answered… FII: 4 (7%) FV: 5 (8%) FVIII: 9 (15%) FIX: 3 (4%) FXIII: 39 (65%) The large majority is correct. Here is the abstract from Luyendyk JP, Flick MJ, Wolberg AS. […]

Bleeding Disorders

New CAP Survey Coag POC Requirements

Click POC CAP Coag Requirements 1-25 to read about the CAP Survey updates to point-of-care specimen management featuring Andrew Goodwin, MD, medical director of the thrombosis and hemostasis laboratory, and Marian Rollins-Raval, MD, PhD; chief of the Division of Hematopathology and Genomic Medicine both at the University of Vermont Medical Center.

Specimen Management

PT/INR Harmonization

Here is an open-access January 2025 publication that describes an organization-wide PT/INR harmonization effort. Click on the reference to obtain the article: Favaloro EJ, Arunachalam S, Chapman K, Pasalic L. Continued harmonization of the international normalized ratio across a large laboratory network: Evidence of sustained low interlaboratory variation and bias after a change in instrumentation. […]

Anticoagulant Therapy

Lab Monitoring For a Patient Transitioning From DOAC to Heparin

From Jessica Warner, MLS (ASCP)cm Technical Specialist Network Coagulation Service Lab Administration Kettering Health Hi George, Has there been much discussion on what sites are using for lab monitoring for patients transitioning from DOAC to heparin? We have strictly been using anti-Xa for heparin monitoring since 2015. We are a 13-site network with 8 hospitals […]

Anticoagulant Therapy

Load more

George Fritsma is a medical laboratory scientist, educator, and author. George holds faculty appointments with Rutgers University and Michigan State University, and is a member of the International Society on Thrombosis and Hemostasis, American Association of Clinical Chemists, and American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science.

Cheat Sheets from George

Quick Question