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ISLH Cancels May 21 Meeting

Received today, March 20, 2020: Due to the rapid progression of COVID-19 (Coronavirus) and our desire to protect the health, safety and freedom of movement of our attendees, faculty and industry supporters, we have made the difficult, but necessary decision to cancel the in-person ISLH 2020 meeting that was scheduled to take place May 21-23 […]

THSNA Postponed

The 2020 Thrombosis and Hemostasis Summit of North America is postponed to late August in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The organizers hope we are all able to attend in August.

VWD and Aspirin

An acquaintance’s daughter has type 1 von Willebrand disease. Her OB physician recommends a daily baby aspirin during her pregancy. Are there any circumstances in which aspirin is indicated during pregnancy in a woman with VWD? Please provide your opinion in our Comments section below or email to [email protected]. Thank you.

Antiplatelet Therapy

Lupus Anticoagulant Testing

Maureen (Mo) Tacke, St. Luke’s Health System, sent this case. A woman who had experienced one normal fetus loss at longer than 10 weeks’ gestation and one unexplained spontaneous miscarriage at shorter than 10 weeks’ gestation but no additional thrombotic episodes had the following results: Initial: DRVVT ratio: 1.70 (limit 1.20); silica clot time ratio […]

Lupus Anticoagulant

Detecting DOACs in Urine

George has been in touch with long-time colleague and friend, Jeanine Walenga, PhD, Loyola University Medical Center. Dr. Walenga collaborates with Dr. Job Harenberg of DOASENSE® in development of the DOAC Dipstick®, a qualitative urine immersion strip that detects a DOAC within ten minutes. A pad for the thrombin inhibitor dabigatran and a pad for […]

Anticoagulant Therapy

Emicizumab

George had the opportunity to speak with two UAB Hematology-Oncology fellows who work with the Hemophilia and Bleeding Disorders service at Children’s Hospital of Alabama. They report that the center’s move to hemophilia A therapy using emicizumab (HEMLIBRA) has significantly changed the lives of hemophiliacs in Alabama. One subcutaneous injection per week (or even every […]

Bleeding Disorders

March 2020 Quick Question

Look to the right for our March, 2020 Quick Question, “How does your facility measure extended half-life factor VIII concentrate therapy?” After you select your answer please add your comments by sending an email to [email protected].

Bleeding Disorders

Feb, 2020 Quick Question: Chronic Bleeding

Our February, 2020 Quick Question, which drew 114 answers, asks, “For chronic bleeds, poor wound healing with normal PT, PTT, FG and platelets, what assay should be next?” Answers: Factor VIII: 18% (21) Factor IX: 3% (3) Factor XI: 4% (5) Factor XIII: 75% (85) The question was meant to draw us to factor XIII […]

Bleeding Disorders

Hex-phase Phospholipid Approval

This news just arrived on Tuesday February 25, 2020. Precision BioLogic’s new CRYOcheck Hex LA™ kit has been approved for use in Canada, the EU, Australia and New Zealand. Congratualtions to PBI, and again, please be sure to attend the poster presentation at the Chicago THSNA meeting.

Chromogenic Factor VIII Assay

The Thrombosis and Hemostasis Summit of North America (THSNA) convenes in Chicago Thursday, April 23 to Saturday April 25. Fritsma Factor’s sponsor, Precision BioLogic Inc, Halifax, NS, and Affinity Biologicals, Inc,Toronto, ON will occupy booth 401. From 5:45 to 6:30 on Thursday, presenters will be located near their posters including the following posters developed by […]

Bleeding Disorders

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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.

Cheat Sheets from George

Quick Question