Dabigatran Bleeding Rate

The March 13, 2013 New England Journal of Medicine released a perspective, Dabigatran and Postmarketing Reports of Bleeding. The authors contend that early reports citing a bleeding rate higher than Coumadin may have been a symptom of intense market vigilance with over-reporting of events. Geo.

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Anticoagulant Therapy

Mar 14 2013

george

Dabigatran May Shorten Hospital Stay

The Heart.org posted a small but powerful study today illustrating that dabigatran (Pradaxa) may shorten the inpatient stay because it eliminates the need for coverage by heparin or fondaparinux and eliminates the need to tinker with dosage to hit the target international normalized ratio (INR). Yet more good new for dabigatran. Geo.

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Anticoagulant Therapy

Mar 14 2013

george

No More PT in Seconds?

From Dr. Larry Brace, Edward Hospital, Naperville, IL: I need an opinion. Here is my view on prothrombin time (PT) in seconds. We should no longer have to do a normal range for the PT in seconds. We know that the general consensus is that the international normalized ratio (INR) is considered normal to at least 1.2 […]

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Anticoagulant Therapy

Mar 13 2013

george

Triple Antithrombotic Therapy

Prof. Bernadette Rodak of Indiana University forwarded a question about parallel anticoagulant and antiplatelet therapy from the ASCLS Consumer Web Forum. In the interest of confidentiality, I paraphrase the question: “What should the international normalized ratio (INR) be when on simultaneous antiplatelet therapy (aspirin and clopidogrel) for percutaneous intervention (PCI) stent placement and anticoagulation therapy (Coumadin) […]

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Anticoagulant Therapy

Mar 13 2013

george

Shortened PTT

Let’s highlight Marianne Thawley’s question that appears in a comment on the March 8 post, Rapid INR Rise in Pneumonia, “What are some causes for decreased PTT results.” In my experience, only technical artifacts shorten the partial thromboplastin time (PTT) to less than the lower limit of the reference interval. Artifacts could include partial activation of the coagulation […]

Screening Assays

Stephen Duff to Innovacorp

For those who haven’t already heard, Steve Duff, a highly valued member of the Precision BioLogic Inc family, was recruited for and has accepted a role as President and CEO of Innovacorp, a government-owned corporation that helps young Nova Scotia technology companies reach their commercial potential through investment and support. Steve has been on the board […]

Events

More on Factor Assays and Inhibitors

Here is an in-depth response from Russell Higgins, MD, a colleague of John Olson, MD, and current chair of the Coagulation Resource Committee of the College of American Pathologists (CAP) to Dee McMichael’s March 2 question about monitoring factor activity in the presence of an inhibitor: From Dr; Olson: “We discussed this at our weekly coagulation consensus conference this […]

Factor Assays

Rapid INR Rise in Pneumonia

From Michael Huang, MicroPoint Bio: An 80 yr old male on warfarin was admitted to A&E of a local hospital for the complaint of shortness of breath. Lab test results showed INR of 15 after his admission. Just 8 hours before, the POC instrument his doctor used to monitor his INR showed a reading of 2.6. The […]

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Anticoagulant Therapy

Mar 2 2013

george

Factor Assays and Inhibitors

From Dee McMichael, Blood Bank Supervisor, All Children’s Hospital, St. Petersburg, FL: I was trying to post a question on your site but each time I received a connection failure. I will follow up with my IT department but thought I might be able to post my question in an email. (Dee, we apologize for the connection […]

Factor Assays

High HCT and PT, PTT, and D-dimer

From Barbara Robinson, MT (ASCP), Children’s Hospital of New Orleans, If a sample is tested for D-dimer, prothrombin time (PT) and partial thromboplastin time (aPTT, PTT), and the anticoagulant in tube has not been adjusted for high hematocrit (HCT = 60.8%), what tests would be invalid, and how would results be affected? Hi, Barbara, and thank you […]

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Screening Assays

All Posts

Dabigatran Bleeding Rate

Dabigatran May Shorten Hospital Stay

No More PT in Seconds?

Triple Antithrombotic Therapy

Shortened PTT

Stephen Duff to Innovacorp

More on Factor Assays and Inhibitors

Rapid INR Rise in Pneumonia

Factor Assays and Inhibitors

High HCT and PT, PTT, and D-dimer

George Fritsma MS MLS

Cheat Sheets from George

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