Anticoagulant Therapy

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

Coumadin Therapy: Molecular Screens?

George is preparing updates for several of our Educational Modules and is currently revising the Coumadin (Warfarin) module of the Antithrombotic Therapy series. While DOAC therapy is rapidly replacing Coumadin as the mainstay for stroke prevention in non-valvular atrial fibrillation and for prophylaxis following total hip and knee replacement surgery, Coumadin is still in everyday […]

Anticoagulant Therapy

November, 2019 Quick Question

Our November, 2019 Quick Question asked, “What may you substitute for the PT when LAC prolongs the PT?” We accumulated 53 votes. A. None, use the PT anyway: 9% (5) B. Chromogenic anti-Xa: 13% (7) C. Chromogenic factor X: 30% (16) D. Activated clotting time: 8% (4) E. Thrombin time: 11% (6) F. There is […]

Anticoagulant Therapy

Switching from DOAC to UFH

From Maureen Tacke, Program Manager, Lab, Hematology/Coagulation, St. Luke’s Health System: Our institution is working towards a conversion to Anti-Xa monitoring for patients on UFH, however, our pharmacy group has a question. What are other facilities doing if a patient presents, needs UFH, and is already on a DOAC (the baseline anti-Xa or PTT is […]

Anticoagulant Therapy

Quick Question: PT substitute

Our November, 2019 Quick Question asks, “What may you substitute for the PT when LAC prolongs the PT?” This question addresses the unreliability of the PT for monitoring Coumadin therapy when lupus anticoagulant interferes by prolonging the result. It is also relevant to PT prolongation by fibrinogen deficiency or factors II, V, VII, or X […]

Anticoagulant Therapy

AUGUSTUS Trial: Apixaban and Clopidogrel

Click or tap here to learn the results of the AUGUSTUS trial, which shows that the combination of apixaban and a P2Y12 inhibitor such as clopidogrel is safer than Coumadin and clopidogrel, Coumadin and aspirin, or apixaban and aspirin for post-PCI or acute coronary syndrome therapy.

Anticoagulant Therapy

August, 2019 QQ: DOAC Bridging

Our August, 2019 Quick Question, suggested by frequent contributor, Dave McGlasson, demonstrated the variability in clinical antithrombotic therapy bridging policies when a patient requires a procedure. Here is the question and answers provided by 70 participants: A 60-YO man taking 20 mg/day rivaroxaban for AFIB needs a high bleeding risk surgery. His creatinine is 0.9 […]

Anticoagulant Therapy

Anticoagulation After Valve Replacement

According to an August 28, 2019 Medscape post, according to pooled PARTNER 2 results, early anticoagulation was independently associated with fewer strokes after surgical valve replacement (hazard ratio, 0.17; P = .006) but with more minor bleeding after transcatheter valve replacement (HR, 1.72; P = .01). Click or tap here for the Medscape post.

Anticoagulant Therapy

July 2019 CAP DOACs Article

The July, 2019 issue of CAP Today offers an article describing hemostasis testing for patients on DOACs by Dr. Dorothy M. Adcock, Chief Medical Officer and Senior Vice President, LabCorp. Tap or click here for “What is the Impact of Direct Oral Anticoagulants?”

Anticoagulant Therapy

Vitamin K Kinetics

George received a series of questions about vitamin K kinetics from colleague and friend Catherine N. Otto, MLS, PhD, Rutgers University. Dr. Otto is assisting a Nutrition Science colleague. It seems that vitamin K deficiency (as defined by PT/INR) does not show up until there is serious depletion in the amounts of these activated proteins. Why? […]

Anticoagulant Therapy

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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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