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Factor Substitution Assays

From: Peracha, Mr. Fritsma: We do not have facilities for factor assays at our laboratory. I need to prepare aged plasma for correction studies. Should aged plasma have a prothrombin time exceeding 90 seconds or should it be not more than 90 seconds? Hello, Peracha, thank you for your question. We really don’t use substitution […]

A Thrombocytopenia Saga

George attempted to answer this question about thrombocytopenia, which appeared on the ASCLS Consumer Forum, in November of 2008 I am a medical technologist. My platelet count has been running around 102,000/uL for the past few years. This year Quest Diagnostics did my blood work and the count was 87,000. I thought it may have something to […]

New Unfractionated Heparin Formulation (Yet Again)

Joe Lamb, Hematology/Blood Bank Supervisor at St. Francis Hospital Laboratory, Columbus, GA sent me this valuable heads-up: George, you probably know this already (I didn’t) but the December CAP Today has a question and answer tidbit by Dr. Charles Eby about the new heparin formulation and validation studies. Thanks to Joe, you can follow the link to Dr. […]

Lupus Anticoagulant Testing and Pooled Normal Plasma

A question about pooled normal plasma for lupus anticoagulant testing from Theo Powers, US Oncology. Hello, George! Great web site, The updated guidelines for lupus anticoagulant (LA) testing refer to making in-house pooled normal plasma (PNP). What are the current recommendations for preparing this pool, such as number of donors, storage, stability? Triplett (Laboratory Evaluation […]

New Quick Question: INR

Please take a moment to answer the quick question posted today, Tuesday, December 15. If you have a question you’d like to see posted as a quick question, please send it to George using the “Ask George” link.

Quick Question Summary: Specimen Hemolysis

Our November Quick Question was “What is your institution’s policy regarding artifactual hemolysis? a. Ignore hemolysis: 4% (3) b. Reject all plasmas with visible hemolysis: 49% (34) c. Assay anyway and append a comment indicating possible interference: 36% (25) d. Assay for plasma hemoglobin and reject plasmas above an established limit: 11% (8) The split […]

Coagulation Cofactors: Why They Aren’t Catalysts

A basic coagulation question from my colleague and co-editor Kathryn Doig, PhD, Michigan State University Clinical Laboratory Science Program: Hi, George. A student and I got into a discussion about the role of factors V and VIII. He contends they are catalysts because they increase the rate of the reactions in which they are involved […]

Meet Dr. Timothy Amukele

On November 4 I had the pleasure of meeting Timothy Amukele, MD, PhD, Fellow in International Clinical Laboratory Medicine and member of the Department of Laboratory Medicine at the University of Washington Medical Center in Seattle. Dr Amukele is affiliated with Pathologists Overseas, a non-government agency formed in 1991 to help improve and provide affordable pathology services […]

HIT Testing: ETI MAX

Dear George, Are you aware of any laboratories that have tried to use the ETI MAX EIA/ELISA system with the GTI PF4 testing products? Thank you, Twyla Bader MT (ASCP) Supervisor/Hematology PeaceHealth Laboratories Bellingham, WA Hi, Twyla, Thank you for your question. No, I am not familiar with that equipment, and have posted this so our participants […]

Why Doesn’t FVIII Deficiency Prolong PT?

A question from Lucas Tarquino at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey: Hello, I am a medical student studying for USMLE step 2 and have a question about factor VIII deficiency. Since factors IX and X are in both the intrinsic (partial thromboplastin time, PTT) and extrinsic (prothrombin time, PT) pathways, why […]

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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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