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Test to Assess Clotting Status

From our ASCLS Consumer Web Forum: I was wondering if there is any test available to assess the clotting status of someone with factor V Leiden genetic disorder to verify if the treatment plan has been effective? If the patient has been on anticoagulants, is there a test to prove that the blood-clotting issue has […]

Anticoagulant Therapy

World Thrombosis Day

Join me in commemorating World Thrombosis Day.

New DOAC Reversal Agents

George, I noticed on Fritsma Factor the question on using Kcentra to reverse DOACs. I just got this off Medscape on a phase 3 study of an antidote to the factor Xa inhibitor apixaban. An IV bolus of andexanet alfa immediately and significantly reversed apixaban in 33 healthy volunteers enrolled in the ANNEXA-A study. The authors […]

Anticoagulant Therapy

KCentra to Reverse DOACs?

From Gabor Varadi, Einstein Healthcare: Hello George, I would like to ask your opinion about using 4-component prothrombin complex concentrate (PCC) for rivaroxaban and dabigatran-induced life-threatening bleeding. Any scientific data to support using this product? Thank you. Hello, Dr. Varadi, and thank you for your question. Kcentra, from CLS Behring, has been available since 2009 under the trademark […]

Anticoagulant Therapy

Quick Question: Platelet Function Poll

From Scott Miller at St. Mary’s of Michigan: Just a note. We use both the PFA-100 and the Verify Now for platelet function testing. I am unable to get the poll to accept more than one response. Scott Thank you, Scott, we will add your response to the total when we publish the results. Geo

Platelet Function Testing

TEG and ROTEM: Reprise

We have two valuable posts on the December 3, 2013 topic of Thromboelastograph (TEG) versus the Rotational Thromboelastometer (ROTEM), asking about transporting platelet function testing specimens through the tube system. I just want to ensure you didn’t miss this useful information.

Platelet Function Testing

QQ Results: Overfilled Coag Tubes

From our summer, 2014 Quick Question, What is your policy for managing overfilled coagulation specimen tubes? a. We reject overfilled tubes; results are likely to be invalid. 116 votes, 69% b. We accept overfilled tubes; overfilling doesn’t affect results. 28 votes, 17% c. We never see overfilled tubes. 24 votes, 14% CLSI Guideline H21-A5 specifies that coagulation tubes […]

Quick Question Archive

Cepheid Factor II and V Mutations

From Dr. Joyce Low, St. Vincent’s Hospital, Sydney. We were wondering if anyone has had experience with the Cepheid combined factor V Leiden mutation and prothrombin G20210A (Xpert factor II and V) assay on the GeneXpert which was FDA-cleared in 2006. Thank you, Dr. Low, I’ve had no experience, but hope to hear from our participants. Geo.

Pediatric INR?

From Patti Richardson, St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children: Good afternoon, George: For critical values, are pediatric hospitals using the prothrombin time and international normalized ratio (PT & INR)? For pediatric hospitals, what is the INR critical value most often used? Hello, Patti, thank you for an excellent question. The Antithrombotic Therapy and Prevention of Thrombosis, 9th ed: American […]

Anticoagulant Therapy

Wide D-dimer Fluctuations

From Tony Tang, Clinical Laboratory of Tongji Hospital, Wuhan, China: Hello George, recently we’ve met two or three cases from paediatrics with unexplained massively elevated D-dimer. In these cases, PT and PTT were normal, levels of fibrinogen were decreased (about 1.0-1.5g/L), different D-dimer reagents (STAGO AND IL) got consistent results, levels of rheumatoid factors were normal, clot and […]

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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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