Anticoagulant Therapy

May 2023 Quick Question: DTI

Our May 2023 Quick Question asks, “Which DOAC is a direct thrombin inhibitor? Our 70 respondents chose… Dabigatran [Pradaxa]: 56 [80%] Rivaroxaban [Xarelto]: 3 [4%] Apixaban [Eliquis]: 3 [4%] Warfarin [Coumadin]: 7 [10%] Clopidogrel [Plavix]: [2%] Dabigatran is the direct thrombin inhibitor, whereas rivaroxaban and apixaban are direct anti-Xa inhibitors. Clopidogrel is an antiplatelet antithrombotic. […]

Quick Question Archive

May 2023 Quick Question: DOACs

Our May 2023 Quick Question asks “Which DOAC is a direct thrombin inhibitor?” Please select your answer. If you would like to add a comment, please click Comments below.

Anticoagulant Therapy

Discrepant PT and INR Results

From Soha Abuelela. I’m using the ACL Pro Elite for PT and PTT testing in my lab using Hemosil Recombiplastin 2G reagent but I frequently notice sample results showing normal PT time in seconds with normal concentration but the INR is above the reference interval! Could you please help me with possible causes and your […]

Anticoagulant Therapy

March 2023 Quick Question: Apixaban Reversal

Our March 2023 Quick Question asked, “Which reversal agent is effective in managing apixaban overdose?” Our 45 respondents chose: rFVIIa [NovoSeven]: 4 [9%] Andexanet alfa: 28 [62%] Idarucizumab: 5 [11%] Vitamin K: 6 [13%] FFP: 2 [5%] Before direct reversal agents became available, DOAC overdose-related bleeding was treated by attempting to absorb undigested anticoagulant from […]

Anticoagulant Therapy

Dabigatran Recall

Thanks to Dave McGlasson for forwarding this Medscape bulletin [click] announcing Ascend Laboratories’ recall of 10 dabigatran lots due to the detection of the nitrosamine impurity, N-nitroso-dabigatran, a potential carcinogen.

Anticoagulant Therapy

Mixed DOACs and the DOAC Clotting Time Test

In a January 2023 letter to the editor, available from the publisher or your library as Exner T, Ellwood L, Dangol M, Favaloro EJ. Mixing factor Xa and thrombin inhibiting direct oral anticoagulants produces a synergistic prolonging effect on most clotting tests. Int J Lab Hematol. 2023 Feb 21. doi: 10.1111/ijlh.14043, investigators examined a DRVVT-based […]

Anticoagulant Therapy

March 2023 Quick Question: Apixaban Reversal

Our March 2023 Quick Question addresses DOAC reversal and asks, “Which reversal agent is effective in managing apixaban overdose?” Please give us your best selection and add your comments in our Comments section below this post. The question will be available through March 31.

Anticoagulant Therapy

January, 2023 Quick Question: Tranexamic Acid

Our January 2023 Quick Question asks, What is the target of the anti-hemorrhagic agent tranexamic acid? For this question, the only correct answer is fibrinolysis. Here are the responses from our 57 participants… Factor V: 5 [9%] Factor XIII: 5 [9%] Fibrinolysis: 40 [70%] Prothrombin 4 [7%] Activated protein C 3 [5%] This QQ is […]

Quick Question Archive

Apixaban and Alzheimer Disease

Michele M. Reed participated in my [Geo] Michigan State University’s Biomedical Laboratory Diagnostics graduate course, BLD 835 Hemostasis and Thrombosis. Her attached manuscript provides basic information about apixaban’s indications and efficacy and makes an intriguing reference to apixaban as a potential means for dementia management. Click here for Michele’s manuscript, “Can Apixaban Help Reduce the […]

Anticoagulant Therapy

November, 2022 Quick Question: PT/INR

The stem or our November 2022 Quick question asked, If you use the PT when no warfarin is being measured, how do you report the results? Our 51 participants responded as follows: Report both PT and INR: 34 [66%] Report PT/MRI ratio: 0 Report PT only: 14 [27%] Report INR only: 4 [7%] Answer 2 […]

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.

Cheat Sheets from George

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