Posts

An Assay for TFPI?

Here is a message from frequent contributor “Azevlab227″: Hi George, Thanks so much for this valuable resource! My question is, is there a laboratory that still performs TFPI? I have had a couple of requests in recent years, but am unable to find a lab still performing the test. Thanks so much for your help! […]

LMWH Calibration: Stago & Siemens

A provocative message from Dr. Michael Blechner at University of Kentucky: George, This is a question about LMWH assays. We have been using Stago calibrators to generate our LMWH curve for our anti-Xa assay. We run on two Siemens BCS XPs. Siemens has recently made their own calibrator available and we have been comparing the […]

VI Congreso Nacional de Microbiologia

Margaret Fritsma, MA MT (ASCP) SBB and I were privileged to make several presentations at the VI Congreso Nacional de Microbiologia, 29-30 de Junio y 1 de Julio de 2010 in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. I have attached handouts for two of our presentations,Monitoreo Laboratorial de la Terapia Antithrombotica, and Clasificando los desórdenes Hematopoyéticos. The handouts are provided in Espanol and […]

More on Dengue Fever

Here is a dengue fever update I received yesterday from our friend, Dra Milena Vanegas, MS (CLS), in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. “According to official reports, so far there are 17,620 cases of dengue fever, 594 hemorrhagic cases, and 19 deaths. The hospitals are living a crazy time. The last rains have worsened the problem because it promotes the vector […]

P2Y12 Clopidogrel Receptor Assay

A current study compares the PFA-100, Accumetrics VerifyNow, and whole blood aggregometry detection of the P2Y12 receptor in clopidogrel (Plavix) therapy. This will be reported in a poster at the AACC meeting at the Anaheim Convention Center in July. The abstract is entitled P2Y12 Receptor Blockade. This is a pre-release study for the PFA-100′s new P2Y12 […]

Dengue Fever

Margaret G. Fritsma, MA MT (ASCP) SBB and I just returned from Tegucigalpa, Honduras. Milena Vanegas, MS (CLS) graduate of UAB’s Master of Science in Clinical Laboratory Science program, invited us there to speak at the VI Congreso Nacional de Microbiologica, which was hosted by the Colegia de Microbiologos y Quimicos Clinicos, Honduras. Dra. Vanegas directs the clinical rotations in the Medical Laboratory Science program at […]

Capillary PTTs for Neonates?

I’ve been given a look at some correspondence between Dave McGlasson, lead researcher at Wilford Hall USAF Medical Center in San Antonio and Mary Coleman, Medical Laboratory Science program director at University of North Dakota in Grand Forks. Mary was asking if there is a capillary or whole blood point-of-care (POC) partial thromboplastin time (PTT) method, prompting Dave to check […]

CAP Survey Questions

From Kim Kinney at Clarian in Indianapolis: Hi George, Just started looking over the CAP version 06.17.2010 questions and there are a few that puzzle me. Statement HEM.22912 regarding stability of coag samples no longer mentions PTT samples that include heparin. Questions HEM.25150 and 25175 are revised/new and talk about instruments with integral automatic pipettors, […]

Does Heparin Affect LA Testing?

A question from “Bmolpus:” Hello, I am an emergency physician who has started an urgent care practice and find myself reviewing more patient records and getting more exposure to laboratory tests which were out of the scope of my previous ER practice. I have been reviewing the site and am curious to see if you […]

Hemolysis Shortens PTTs When Heparin is Present

I received this cheerful note from Nichola Marcus, a graduate of our UAB Clinical Laboratory Science program, now on the laboratory staff of Huntsville Hospital, Huntsville, Alabama: Hey George! Check out the AACC abstract poster D-54 from your former UAB student–I never would have guessed that my first abstract would be coag related. I have a question for you: Do you […]

Load more

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

Quick Question