QQ: Reflexing POC INRs

Here are the responses to our May, 2012 quick question: When using point of care testing, at what INR does your anticoagulation clinic require a confirmatory plasma-based (conventional) PT? a. 4.0: 34 (65%) b. 5.0: 9 (17%) c. 6.0: 4 (8%) d. Never: 5 (10%) Our responses closely parallel our April 24 and May 7 discussions; […]

Comments (0)

Anticoagulant Therapy

May 16 2012

george

Does Altitude or Alcohol Affect the INR?

From an inquirer to the American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science Consumer Forum (with permission): I have a titanium aortic valve. I sometimes experience atrial fibrillation (afib). My cardiologist wants my prothrombin time/international normalized ratio (PT/INR) to be 2.5–3.5. I take 5 mg daily of warfarin. One day per week I take 7.5 mg. I […]

Comments (4)

Anticoagulant Therapy

May 16 2012

george

Participant Poll: Who Uses TEG?

From Kim Kinney at Indiana University Medical Center (IU Health): Hi George. We are being asked to make the thromboelastograph (TEG) available in our special coag lab for clinical use. I am curious to poll others regarding the use of TEG, who is running the test, who is interpreting the results, etc. We have had the TEG available […]

Comments (3)

Global Hemostasis Assays

May 16 2012

george

Dabigatran and the iSTAT

From “SwimRose:” Hi George, We recently had a case in our ER of a stroke patient on Pradaxa giving an INR of 2.0 with ISTAT, but the main lab instrument, an IL ACL, gave 1.1. Please comment. Hello, and thank you for your question, which drove me to an early-morning search of theAbbott Diagnostics site for […]

Comments (1)

Anticoagulant Therapy

May 11 2012

george

Ecarin Clotting Time: Dr. Zuckerman

On April 29, Crystal Azavedo asked about laboratories that monitor dabigatran with the ecarin clotting time (ECT). Last week at the Thrombosis and Hemostasis Summit of North America I became reacquainted with long-time colleague, Dr. Leon Zuckerman, founder of Coagulation Consultants of Des Plaines, Illinois. Coagulation Consultants is a full-service hemostasis reference laboratory that also offers the ECT. It was good to see Dr. […]

Comments (1)

Anticoagulant Therapy

May 11 2012

george

More on Hemolysis: Dr. Marques

Here is a photo sent by my friend and colleague Marisa Marques, MD, director of the University of Alabama at Birmingham Hospital special coagulationand transfusion medicine laboratories. Her message was in response to the April 27 post on Hemolysis and the Heparin Anti-Xa by “Danagah.” The photo was taken in 2005 by special coagulation technologist Patti Tichenor of two specimens […]

Specimen Management

A Thorn Between Two Roses

Here’s a photo of George with Kelly Townsend (L) and Pamela Owens (R) in the exhibit at theThrombosis and Hemostasis Summit of North America. Kelly and Pam are frequent Fritsma Factor participants and leaders atTriCore Reference Laboratoriesof Albuquerque, NM.

Events

IL Splits from Beckman-Coulter Effective 6/22/2012

Instrumentation Laboratory, part of the Werfen group, today announced it will terminate its hemostasis business relationship with Beckman-Coulter, Inc., effective June 22, 2012, and will initiate direct sales and service on June 23. Beckman-Coulter, Incorporated was recently purchased by the Danaher group. Attached is Beckman’s announcement of the IL decision. Beckman-Coulter IL Letter 5-7-2012

Posts

More on Mixing Studies: Dr. Ortel

We’ve had three posts and several comments regarding lupus anticoagulant (LA) mixing studies since March. These are… March 18, 2012: Test for LA When Mixing Study Corrects? March 22, 2012: Mixing Study Results: Long PT and PTT April 3, 2012: More on LA Mixing Studies In these posts several experts held that it is necessary […]

Lupus Anticoagulant

Reprise: Validating POC INRs

Back to our April 24 anticoagulation clinic manager’s question about when to validate a prolonged point of care (POC) prothrombin time with international normalized ratio (PT/INR). George spoke with representatives of Roche Diagnostics, distributor of Coag-U-Chek instruments, while attending the May 3–5 Thrombosis and Hemostasis Summit of North America meeting in Chicago. While Roche contends this is a local decision and […]

Comments (0)

Anticoagulant Therapy

All Posts

QQ: Reflexing POC INRs

Does Altitude or Alcohol Affect the INR?

Participant Poll: Who Uses TEG?

Dabigatran and the iSTAT

Ecarin Clotting Time: Dr. Zuckerman

More on Hemolysis: Dr. Marques

A Thorn Between Two Roses

IL Splits from Beckman-Coulter Effective 6/22/2012

More on Mixing Studies: Dr. Ortel

Reprise: Validating POC INRs

George Fritsma MS MLS

Cheat Sheets from George

Questions or Comments?

Quick Question