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April, 2020 Quick Question: HEMLIBRA

With the rapid onset of game-changing injectable emicizumab [HEMLIBRA] therapy for hemophilia, coagulation laboratories face a new challenge. On the occasions when HEMLIBRA-treated hemophiliacs need factor VIII concentrate therapy, or if there is a desire to test for residual factor VIII, what means does the laboratory possess? Likewise, the clinician may need a means to […]

Bleeding Disorders

March 2020 Quick Question Summary

Our March, 2020 Quick Question, “How does your facility measure extended half-life factor VIII concentrate therapy?” drew 24 votes, reflecting the number of laboratories serving Hemophilia and Bleeding Disorders services worldwide. Here are the answers: A. One-stage clot-based FVIII assay 46% [11] B. Two-stage chromogenic FVIII assay 42% [10] C. We don’t measure, assays are […]

Bleeding Disorders

AC Clinics and Covid-19

The Anticoagulation Forum conducted a webinar on Wednesday, March 25 entitled Management of Warfarin Patients Who Have Difficulty Getting INR Testing During COVID-19 Pandemic. Click or tap the title to see the recorded presentation, which centers on Warfarin management. Here are a few takeaways from the webinar, please feel free to add your observations below. […]

Anticoagulant Therapy

EHL Factor IX Assays

Today, March 23, 2020, the International Journal of Laboratory Hematology released a study describing the clinical efficacy attributes of PTT-based one-stage clotting assays and two-stage chromogenic assays for the extended half-life factor IX concentrate, Alprolix. Click or tap the citation for the open-access article. Thank you to Dr. Ali Sadeghi-Khomami, Precision BioLogic Inc. for the […]

Bleeding Disorders

DIC in COVID-19 Pneumonia

Here is a JTH free-access brief report that illustrates mortality-related DIC parameters in coronavirus pneumonia, hinting at potential interventional therapy. Tang N, Dengju L, Wang X, Son Z. Brief Report: Abnormal coagulation parameters are associated with poor prognosis in patients with novel coronavirus pneumonia. J Thromb Haemostas 2020. DOI: 10.1111/jth.14768

Bleeding Disorders

THSNA Now Aug 23–25

The Thrombosis and Hemostasis Summit of North America meeting, originally scheduled for April 23–25 is rescheduled for August 23–25. The location remains the Sheraton Chicago. Thanks to Elaine Benoit, Precision BioLogic Inc. for the update.

Covid Lab Testing

Clotters, sorry to move into the Microbiology world, but it seems appropriate to quote my respected colleague, Rodney Rohde, PhD on Covid-19 testing. “My thoughts on laboratory testing since it’s on everyone’s mind. Please understand, the only true way to know if someone is positive or negative with ANY infection / microbe is to perform […]

ASCLS-Montana Cancels April 9 Meeting

Thanks to Elaine Benoit, Precision Biologic, for the previous ISLH cancellation message and for the following: The ASCLS-MT 2020 spring educational conference will be canceled for this year April 9–11, 2020 in Missoula, MT. In the interests of supporting the national efforts to slow the transmission of COVID-19 we have decided to cancel our annual […]

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.

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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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