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Who Reports Complex Test Results?

From George: Here is a recent message from a colleague who asks about a common but awkward professional issue related to reporting complex test results: I work at a small anatomic pathology laboratory that provides services almost exclusively to oncologists in a major metropolitan area. Coagulation is the only department in the lab that is […]

TXA in Post-partum Hemorrhage

George has attached a Lancet open access article on the effectiveness of tranexamic acid in controlling post-partum hehorrhage. Thanks to John Gerlach, PhD, Director, Biomedical Laboratory Diagnostics Program, Michigan State University for this timely information. Click here for the Lancet Article and for an editorial featuring the article’s outcomes.

Bleeding Disorders

Hematocrit and Thrombosis

Thanks to John Gerlach, PhD, Professor and Director of the Biomedical Laboratory Diagnostics Program at Michigan State University for the heads-up on this Transfusion Journal article about high hematocrit and thrombosis, which cites two 2017 Blood publications describing several arterial experiments in mice that could have clinical implications.

Arterial Thrombosis

Stago Acquires Hemosonics

Here is an annoucement from Diagnostica Stago Inc. describing their recent acquisition of Hemosonics. It appears there is growing interest in new point of care technologies.

Eliquis Recall due to Mislabeling

Thanks for a heads-up from Dave McGlasson, here is a recall notice from Bristol-Myers Squibb regarding Eliquis tablets whose dosage level was mislabeled.

Anticoagulant Therapy

Quick Question: Mixing Study

A comment revealing a weakness in our June, 2017 mixing study quiz from Susan Atkinson ART MLT, Moncton, NB: There is no indication that a thrombin time was performed and normal. This is essential before any investigations are performed so that heparin contamination can be ruled out. This is the usual explanation of an elevated aPTT.

Quick Question: Specimen Hemolysis

Here are the 6-7-17 results of our latest Quick Question survey. The topic of specimen hemolysis came up in a lengthy December 6, 2016 entry featuring comments from Dennis Ernst, Center for Phlebotomy Education. Q: What approach do your facility’s nurses use to reduce specimen hemolysis at the time they are starting IVs? a. Collect […]

Quick Question Archive

Stopping a Heparin Infusion to Collect a Specimen

Here is a question forwarded by friend and colleague Dennis Ernst, Center for Phlebotomy Education. When we must draw from the arm with fluids infusing, our policy has always been that the RN must pause the IV. If the IV is in the other arm, we do not ask the nurses to pause the infusion […]

Specimen Management

Factor Substitution Assays

George occasionally receives questions about factor substitution assays. We coagulationists of a “certain age” can recall preparing barium sulfate or aluminum hydroxide “adsorbed” plasma, aged plasma, and serum, then performing mixing studies on prolonged PTT patient plasmas. We mixed the patient plasma 1:1 with pooled normal plasma and the adsorbed and aged plasma and serum, […]

DOAC Review

Click here for an excellent MedScape review on the DOACs.

Anticoagulant Therapy

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George Fritsma is a medical laboratory scientist, educator, and author. George is a member of the International Society on Thrombosis and Hemostasis, the International Society for Laboratory Hematology, and the American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science.

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