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FDA Registration

Message from “Ray:” How can companies run ads for non-cleared or approved devices that say “FDA registered?” Thank you, Ray, This issue comes up from time to time, and we addressed it in a March 13, 2015 post. FDA registration does not necessarily imply that a device is approved or cleared, as defined in this […]

FVL Mutation and Surgery

This question was sent via the ASCLS Consumer Web Forum: Are there increased risks for surgery for someone with one copy of factor V Leiden? If there are, does this rule someone out for major elective surgery (i.e. living donor organ transplant)? This is the kind of question only the patient’s surgeon can answer, given […]

PTT Versus Anti-Xa

For several years, most coagulation specialists have supported using the chromogenic anti-Xa assay in place of the PTT for monitoring unfractionated heparin therapy. We contend the anti-Xa is more accurate and reproducible as it is less prone to interference. Many medical center laboratories have converted to the anti-Xa as their primary means for monitoring UFH, […]

Anticoagulant Therapy

Lovenox Causes Urinary Tract Bleeding

George received this message from Prof. Emerita Bernadette (Bunny) Rodak, editor and author of Rodak’s Hematology: Clinical Principles and Applications. Bunny has an ovarian tumor accompanied by some clotted abdominal vessels, and has been receiving 120 mg of Lovenox once a day. She has experienced bleeding after each dosage and had asked whether she could […]

Anticoagulant Therapy

Stable Dabigatran Levels in Anticoagulation Clinic Patieents

This abstract was presented as a poster at the American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science annual meeting, Atlanta, July, 2015: McGlasson DL, Fritsma GA. Stable Dabigatran Levels in Anticoagulation Clinic Patients: An Unexpected Finding. Clin Lab Sci 2015; 28:159. The dabigatran effect is rapid. Its half-life is 12–17 hours. Experts believe missed doses may lead […]

Anticoagulant Therapy

Blood Coagulation and Fibrinolysis Publication

Announcing our latest publication, McGlasson DL, Fritsma GA. Measuring dabigatran with the dilute Russell viper venom confirm assay in an anticoagulation clinic population. Blood Coagul Fibrinolysis. 2015 Aug 7. [Epub ahead of print].

Anticoagulant Therapy

More on PTT Sensitivty for LAC

Here is a provocative follow-up from Dr. Ning Tang describing PTT reagent sensitivity to LAC: Hi, Prof George, We performed an experiment to compare APTT of samples with or without LAC by different APTT reagents. The results suggest that the type of activator in APTT reagent seems not to be the determinant of sensitivity for […]

Lupus Anticoagulant

Homozygous Prothrombin G20210A Mutation

Louann Lawrence, DrPH, Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Tarleton State University, Fort Worth was contacted by Mr. Tim Smith through the American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science Consumer Web Forum. Mr. Smith writes, “Hi, I am homozygous for the prothrombin G20210A mutation. This is said to be rare. I thought my case might be of […]

Detecting Coagulants in Patients with LAC

From Dr. Ning Tang: Hi, George, We have a patient with strong lupus anticoagulant (LAC or LA). Diluting the plasma can’t recover the intrinsic factor activities (all <20%), also all results of the intrinsic factor inhibitors were positive. Hence we replaced the APTT reagent by a silica clotting time reagent that contains sufficient phospholipid and […]

Lupus Anticoagulant

Cedars-Sinai Coagulation Symposium 9-12-15

Cedars-Sinai Medical Center Coagulation Consultation Services announces a coagulation conference on Saturday, September 12, 2015. Click here to go to our conferences calendar. Click here for the program description.

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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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