The Factor II-X Prothrombin Time

Following a provocative LinkedIn post and discussions with Dave McGlasson, MS, MLS, I initiated a dialogue with Pall T. Onundarson, M.D., at Landspitali/University of Iceland, Reykjavik, regarding the Factor II-X (Fiix) prothrombin time. Here is our discussion in Q & A format: You are asking some great questions, and I fear some of my answers […]

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Anticoagulant Therapy

Nov 17 2025

george

A Case Study: Congenital Hypofibrinogenemia

Check your medical library for Wu Y, Qin K, Xiang L, et al. Congenital hypofibrinogenemia with bleeding risk: mutations in the FGA, FGB, and FGG genes. Lab Med. 2025:lmaf042. doi: 10.1093/labmed/lmaf042. PMID: 41233956. Abstract Introduction: Congenital hypofibrinogenemia is a genetic disorder caused by defects in the fibrinogen gene. We identified a case of congenital hypofibrinogenemia […]

Bleeding Disorders

PBI President Empey Welcomes NBD Foundation President

Fritsma Factor’s George A. Fritsma is pleased to feature Precision BioLogic Inc. (PBI) President and CEO Paul Empey (on the right). Paul is a board member of the National Bleeding Disorders Foundation (NBDF, formerly the National Hemophilia Foundation). On Thursday, November 13, 2025, PBI welcomed Philip Gattone, President & CEO of NBDF. Mr. Gattone toured […]

Bleeding Disorders

FXIa Inhibitor Milvexian Fails Pivotal Test

Because FXI deficiency is associated with mild variable bleeding, researchers have been developing a direct anticoagulant specific to FXIa, intending to provide effective anticoagulation while reducing the bleeding risk that plagues other antithrombotics. Here is a FirstWord Pharma post in which Bristol-Myers Squibb and Johnson & Johnson report an interim finding in their Librexia ACS (acute […]

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Anticoagulant Therapy

Nov 14 2025

george

Commentary: Laboratory Implications of Transitioning from DOACs to Heparin.

Click here for an 11-13-2025 open-access article, Arachchillage DJ, Vinayagam S, Parsons A, Karawitage N, Laffan M. Transitioning of patients from direct-acting oral anticoagulant to heparin: impact on laboratory testing. Semin Thromb Hemost. 2025. doi: 10.1055/a-2734-2293. PMID: 41232561. Abstract Direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs), including direct thrombin inhibitors (dabigatran) and direct factor Xa inhibitors (apixaban, rivaroxaban, […]

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Anticoagulant Therapy

Nov 14 2025

george

Coag Conversation About Alternative Methods to Monitor Anticoagulant Therapy Part 2: Anticoagulation for Antiphospholipid Syndrome

Join me (Geo) and guest speaker Dr. Nicole Zantek, MD, PhD, Medical Director of the Special Coagulation Laboratory and Professor, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Minnesota Medical School, as we discuss the pathophysiology of antiphospholipid antibodies and alternative methods to monitor warfarin and DOAC anticoagulation in patients diagnosed with APS. Click Anticoagulation […]

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Anticoagulant Therapy

Nov 12 2025

george

Alternate Functions of AT, PC, PS, and TFPI

Go to your medical library to download the meta-analysis Prouse T, Mast AE, Ignjatovic V, Kovac M, Bereczky Z, Majumder R. Alternate functions of physiological anticoagulants. J Thromb Haemost. 2025:S1538-7836(25)00540-9. doi: 10.1016/j.jtha.2025.08.014. PMID: 40907701. Abstract The anticoagulant proteins antithrombin, protein C, protein S, and tissue factor pathway inhibitor are physiological regulators of the blood coagulation […]

Thrombophilia

ADLM Guidance Document: DOAC Assays

Click here for an open-access article on DOAC testing: Bazydlo LAL, Marin MJ, Merrill AE, Man LM, Oladipo OO, Harris NS. ADLM guidance document on coagulation testing in patients using direct oral anticoagulants. J Appl Lab Med. 2025;10:1675–90. doi: 10.1093/jalm/jfaf155. PMID: 41189106. Abstract Background Coagulation testing has an important role in the diagnosis, monitoring, and […]

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Anticoagulant Therapy

Nov 9 2025

george

An Update on Underfilled Tubes

With thanks to Margaret Fritsma MA SBB for the heads-up, here is a comprehensive open-access article detailing the effect of short draw tubes on many assays: de Koning L, Ezra S, Cai F, et al. Underfilled tubes revisited: What blood tests can be reported on short draws? Am J Clin Pathol. 2025:aqaf109. doi: 10.1093/ajcp/aqaf109. PMID: […]

Specimen Management

Red Light Therapy in Hemostasis and Thrombosis

Check with your medical library for an advanced study of the effects of red light therapy upon hemostasis: Fan BE, Pasalic L, Hew YY, Lippi G, Favaloro EJ. Red light therapy in thrombosis and hemostasis. Semin Thromb Hemost. 2025. doi: 10.1055/a-2717-5157. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 41062078. Abstract Red light therapy is emerging as a […]

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Antiplatelet Therapy

All Posts

The Factor II-X Prothrombin Time

A Case Study: Congenital Hypofibrinogenemia

PBI President Empey Welcomes NBD Foundation President

FXIa Inhibitor Milvexian Fails Pivotal Test

Commentary: Laboratory Implications of Transitioning from DOACs to Heparin.

Coag Conversation About Alternative Methods to Monitor Anticoagulant Therapy Part 2: Anticoagulation for Antiphospholipid Syndrome

Alternate Functions of AT, PC, PS, and TFPI

ADLM Guidance Document: DOAC Assays

An Update on Underfilled Tubes

Red Light Therapy in Hemostasis and Thrombosis

George Fritsma MS MLS

Cheat Sheets from George

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