Fibrinolysis

June 2025 Quick Question Summary: Fibrinolysis

Our June 2025 Quick Question was a quiz that asked, “Which fibrinolysis component directly digests fibrin?” Our 51 respondents answered… Plasminogen: 12 (23%) Antiplasmin: 0 D-dimer: 1 (2%) Plasmin: 37 (73%) TPA: 1 (2%) The correct answer is #4, plasmin. In brief, plasminogen is a zymogen. Plasmin, the activated form of plasminogen, binds and digests […]

Neutrophil Extracellular Traps

Neutrophil extracellular trap (NET) research has gained prominence beginning in perhaps 2010. I’ve attached an open-access review that illustrates NETs’ functions and shows how NETs connect neutrophils with hemostasis. The article also documents how NETs participate in the process of thrombosis. Click to download Huang G, Wu H, Lin B, et al. Targeting neutrophil extracellular […]

Updated DIC Parameters from ISTH

The ISTH SSC Subcommittee on Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation has published its latest definition and scoring system for DIC. You may obtain the article from your medical library or through your ISTH membership. Iba T, Levy JH, Maier CL, et al. Updated definition and scoring of disseminated intravascular coagulation in 2025: communication from the ISTH SSC […]

Bleeding Disorders

June 2025 Quick Question: Fibrinolysis

Our June 2025 Quick Question asks, Which fibrinolysis component directly digests fibrin? Please find the question on the right side of the “Posts” menu and make your selection. As always, we invite your comments using the function below.

Quick Question Archive

Still More on Chronically Elevated D-dimer

We’ve received an additional comment on our February 3, 2024 entry on the topic of chronically elevated D-dimer.

More on Chronically Elevated D-dimer

I [Geo] received this 2-1-24 email from a correspondent who had expressed concern for his isolated elevated D-dimer. This is an issue we’ve addressed in the past that prompted me to prepare a summary entitled Isolated Chronically Elevated D-dimer. Here’s the note: Hello. We had email contact in 2023 and it was about a chronically […]

CLN: Viscoelastometry Article

Here is a May 2023 Clinical Laboratory News cover review by colleague and fellow “clotter” Oksana Volod, MD, entitled “Is TEG the Right Assay? [click]” The article describes the updated means for near-patient viscoelastometry assays, whose original methodology became available in 1948. Clinical Laboratory News is a widely distributed American Association for Clinical Chemistry [AACC} […]

Global Hemostasis Assays

Webinar: The Many Faces of VWF, Part 2: Tumor Progression

Fritsma Factor participants, we invite you to view the next installment of our video series “Coag Conversations:” Dr. E. J. Favaloro: The Many Faces of von Willebrand Factor; or Von Willebrand Factor, ADAMTS13, Malignancy, and Beyond Part 2: Von Willebrand Factor and ADAMTS13: Tumor Progression and Beyond, sponsored by BioMedica Diagnostics, Inc.

Age-adjusted D-dimer Cutoff

From Amberly Nunez: Hi George, I am curious to see if anyone is using the age-adjusted D-dimer cutoff for PE? I know this topic was discussed in 2014 and wanted to see if there has been a practice change since that time. We are using the STA Liatest D-Di and our ED physicians have asked […]

Factor XIII Control?

From “Kaarin,” We are wondering what other labs are using for a positive (deficient) control for factor XIII assay by the clot-lysis methodology. Deficient plasma? Hello, Kaarin, thanks for your question, which will attract some responses soon. A quick check of major plasma control distributors shows that only Hyphen BioMed, distributed in North America by Aniara, […]

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George Fritsma is a medical laboratory scientist, educator, and author. George holds faculty appointments with Rutgers University and Michigan State University, and is a member of the International Society on Thrombosis and Hemostasis, American Association of Clinical Chemists, and American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science.

Cheat Sheets from George

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