Quick Question Archive

Dec 2024 QQ: Whole Blood Clot Detection

Our December 2024 Quick Question, “How do you detect small clots in whole blood specimens?” drew 44 responses. Here are our results… Plastic dowel: 0 Observe plasma: 1 (2%) Wooden dowel (stick): 34 (78%) Tilt tube and observe: 8 (18%) We don’t check for clots: 1 (2%, I–Geo–added this vote, it does not represent a […]

Quick Question Archive

November 2024 QQ: Cryoprecipitate

Our November 2024 Quick Question, which attracted 28 responses, asked, “Who invented cryoprecipitate?” Dr. E. J. Kohn: 1 (4%) Dr. Judith Pool: 19 (68%) Dr. Armand Quick: 3 (11%) Dr. Rudolph Virchow: 4 (13%) Dr. Kenneth Brinhous: 1 (4%) Comments: Cryoprecipitate (Cryo) was developed and produced by Judith Pool, PhD, 1919–1975, from Stanford University in […]

Quick Question Archive

Clot Detection in Whole Blood Specimens

I (Geo) received this message on 11-27-24 from Dr. Ludwig Albornoz: After a simple search on Google, we landed on your website, regarding a practice of detecting and removing fibrin and or blood clots in clinical laboratory blood specimens by using a mechanical method, either plastic or wooden rods, which I introduced for use in […]

Specimen Management

November 2024 Quick Question: History

Our November Quick Question, seen on the right, is a simple quiz with one correct answer. Please comment on your response or add your favorite historical anecdotes.

October 2024 QQ Summary: When Do You Order a Bethesda Titer?

This is a follow-up to our 9-30-24 post introducing our October Quick Question, “At what FVIII activity level do you order a Bethesda inhibitor assay (Nijmegen-Bethesda Assay, NBA)?” It occurred to me (Geo) that the demand for NBAs may have diminished with the 2017 release of HemLibra® (emicizumab), the FVIII bypassing therapy, to be followed […]

Bleeding Disorders

More on Nijmegen-Bethesda Test Volumes

From Ali Sadeghi-Khomami PhD, Precision BioLogic scientist. Access to national and global testing databases is needed to answer the NBA test order volumes question. I am unsure if such a database exists, but relevant data could also be retrieved from insurance companies to estimate the annual rate of NBA inhibitor assays. Yearly marketing report documents […]

Bleeding Disorders

Nijmegen-Bethesda Test Volumes

This is a follow-up to our 9-30-24 post introducing our October Quick Question, “At what FVIII activity level do you order a Nijmegen-Bethesda inhibitor assay (NBA)?” It occurred to me (Geo) that the demand for NBAs may have diminished with the advent of the FVIII bypassing therapies, HemLibra® (emicizumab), soon to be followed by MIM8 […]

Bleeding Disorders

October 2024 Quick Question: Inhibitors

A 9/5/24 question from Chad Siniard, MD, director of the University of Alabama at Birmingham Hospital coagulation service, generated a discussion on the FVIII level that a facility chooses to generate an order for a Nijmegen-Bethesda FVIII inhibitor assay. Our October 2024 Quick Question (on the right) is a poll that asks, “At what FVIII […]

Bleeding Disorders

September 2024 Quick Question Response

Our September 2024 Quick Question drew 59 responses and asked: “At what FVIII activity level should the PTT become prolonged?” Our answers were: 60 U/dL: 6 (10%) 40 U/dL: 37 (63%) 10 U/dL: 12 (20%) 1 U/dL: 4 (7%) Most of us chose the correct answer. The PTT “partial thromboplastin” manufacturers develop their reagent to […]

Bleeding Disorders

September 2024 Quick Question: PTT

I (Geo) prefer PTT to APTT or aPTT because the “A” or “a” is superfluous. Laboratory scientists no longer offer an “unactivated” PTT. The “partial thromboplastin” reagent consists of a phospholipid or combination of phospholipids that may include animal, plant, or synthetic sourced phosphatidylserine, phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylinositol, sphingomyelin, and/or phosphatidylethanolamine. Accompanying the phospholipid is one of […]

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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.

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