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Quick Question: Extrinsic Pathway

For our September, 2018 Quick Question, here is a simple quiz question with one correct answer. This is your opportunity to check your “coagulation casecade” knowledge. Feel free to check your undergraduate coag course notes or check with your coagulation consultant!

Coagulation Factors

August, 2018 Quick Question

Here are the results of our August, 2018 Quick Question, answered by 93 participants:. Stem: What is the FDA-approved assay for anti-Xa DOACs? a. Thrombin time: 12% (11) b. Prothrombin time: 8% (7) c. Partial thromboplastin time: 8% (7) d. Chromogenic anti-Xa using DOAC calibrators: 72% (68) This was perhaps a “trick” question. The US […]

Anticoagulant Therapy

Reference Intervals

I recently became reacquainted with colleague Madeline Ducate, PhD, who supports pharmaceutical houses with the laboratory needs for international clinical trials. Madeline is occasionally confronted with a lack of laboratory reference intervals in under-resourced countries, where cultural norms or the lack of funding limit specimen collection and processing from healthy subjects. In vitro diagnostics companies […]

Bleeding Disorders

HGB Variations During the Day

George, periodically we see patients that have a gram or so difference in their hemoglobin levels which causes some duress with the clinicians. Recently we had a nursing home patient (s/p hip fracture repair) who had a venous draw early in the morning that was sent to our in house hospital laboratory and resulted in […]

Bleeding Disorders

DOAC Measurement: CAP Today, July, 2018

If you are having any trouble with our August Quick Question on measuring DOACs, see Dr. Dorothy M. Adcock’s article, Direct Oral Anticoagulants (click or tap) in the July, 2018 issue of CAP Today.

Anticoagulant Therapy

Weight-based Aspirin Dosing

I (Geo) had the pleasure of meeting Santosh Kadel, MS MLS at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston on Thursday, August 9, 2018 while participating in the UTMB Department of Clinical Laboratory Science “Brown Bag” seminar series. Mr. Kadel is a student in UTMB School of Health Professions’ Doctorate in Clinical Laboratory Science […]

Antiplatelet Therapy

Coag Test Utilization

While visiting the University of Texas Medical Branch campus in Galveston, George had the opportunity to become acquainted with Mayukh Sarkar, PhD, Medical Laboratory Scientist in the Division of Hematopathology, Laboratory Services. Dr. Sarkar recently published Sarkar MK, Botz CM, Laposata M. An assessment of overutilization and underutilization of laboratory tests by expert physicians in […]

Specimen Management

Minimally Prolonged PT

George visited the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston on Thursday, August 9 to discuss the American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science partnership with the American Board of Internal Medicine Choosing Wisely initiative. A great day with Eddie Salazar, PhD and the Clinical Laboratory Science faculty. Our afternoon included a coagulation diagnostic management team […]

Quick Question: DOAC Measurement

Please take a look at our August, 2018 Quick Question, “What is the FDA-approved assay for anti-Xa DOACs?” This month’s question is a quiz question with one correct answer, and not a survey. Please make your selection, responses are anonymous.

Anticoagulant Therapy

July, 2018 Quick Question: Factor IX Assay Method

Here are the results of our July, 2018 Quick Question, “How do you measure factor IX therapy?” Clot-based factor assay (34) 83% Immunoassay (4) 10% Chromogenic substrate (3) 7% We had 41 respondents. Although there are a few chromogenic substrate-based factor IX assays available worldwide, none has been approved by the US FDA, though two […]

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