Quick Question Archive

February 2026 QQ Results: DOAC Names

Our February 2026 Quick Question was a quiz that drew 42 responses. The stem asked, “Which DOAC is a direct thrombin inhibitor?” Your answers: Apixaban: 9 (21%) Betrixaban: 0 Dabigatran: 32 (76%) Edoxaban: 0 Rivaroxaban: 1 (3%) We performed well on this question. No one chose betrixaban, an FXa-directed oral anticoagulant that was withdrawn in […]

Anticoagulant Therapy

February 2026 QQ: DOACs

Our February 2026 Quick Question is a quiz that asks, “Which DOAC is a direct thrombin inhibitor?” Since 2010, DOACs have become our primary antithrombotic agents prescribed for prophylaxis or therapy. While more DOACs are on the horizon, the current anticoagulants directly inhibit either thrombin or FXa. Please make your selection in the right-hand column […]

Quick Question Archive

January 2026 QQ Summary: Fibrinolysis

Our January 2026 QQ was a quiz that asked, “What fibrinolytic enzyme digests fibrin?” Here’s how our 34 respondents scored: D-dimer: 0 Plasmin 28 (82%) PAI-1: 2 (6%) TAFI 0 TPA 4 (12%) Congratulations on your successful answers. Here is a summary of fibrinolysis (figure), paraphrased from Walenga JM, Krum KN. Normal Hemostasis. In Keohane EM, […]

January 2026 QQ: Fibrinolysis

Fibrinolysis plays a crucial role in the treatment of thrombosis. The components of fibrinolysis, in no particular order, are plasminogen, plasmin, TPA, TAFI, PAI-1, α2 antiplasmin, FDPs, and D-dimer. Our January 2026 Quick Question in the right column is a quiz that asks, “Which fibrinolysis enzyme digests fibrin?” Please select your answer, and feel free […]

December 2025 QQ Results: Control Proteins

Our December 2025 Quick Question was a quiz that asked, “What plasma control protein acts against FIIa & FXa?” Here’s how our 34 respondents fared… Antithrombin: 27 (79%) Protein C: 5 (15%) Protein S: 1 (3%) Protein Z: 0 TFPI: 1 (3%) We scored well on this question. Antithrombin (AT), when activated by therapeutic heparin […]

Coagulation Factors

November 2025 QQ Summary: Historic Coag Factor Nomenclature

Our November Quick Question summary about Stuart-Prower Factor, linked to a 2023 article by Dave McGlasson about coagulation factor nomenclature. The summary and McGlasson’s article attracted a comment from Dr. Emmanuel Favaloro, which described the nomenclature of traditional and current VWF activity assays. Dr. Favaloro cited three open-access articles on this topic (click to obtain the […]

December 2025 Quick Question: Control Proteins

Our December 2025 Quick Question is another quiz, this time about the coagulation control systems. It asks, “What plasma control protein acts against factor IIa (FIIa, thrombin) and factor Xa (FXa, activated FX)? Please answer and add your comment below.

Quick Question Archive

November 2025 QQ Results: Stuart-Prower Factor

Our November 2025 Quick Question asked, “Which is the numeral for the Stuart-Prower factor? Here are the results from our 31 participants: V: 0 (0%0 VII: 3 (10%) X: 19 (61%, correct) XI: 5 (16%) XII: 4 (13%) We scored well. Beginning with the International Committee on Nomenclature’s 1958 recommendations, we began using Roman numerals […]

Quick Question Archive

November 2025 QQ: Stuart-Prower Factor

Our November 2025 Quick Question tests our historical knowledge. Not long ago, we learned about various names for the coagulation factors; e. g., proaccelerin, proconvertin, and plasma thromboplastin antecedent. Some factor names were proper nouns, for example, Hageman factor, Fletcher factor, and Fitzgerald factor. This month’s question asks you to identify the Stuart-Prower factor by […]

Quick Question Archive

October 2025 QQ: Reporting Assay Uncertainty Data Summary

Our October 2025 Quick Question was a poll that asked, “Do you support publishing assay uncertainty data with all results?” The poll attracted 13 respondents who answered: Yes: 4 (31%) No: 8 (62%) It depends: 1 (7%) While the response was small, our question attracted several vigorous comments (click). Generalizing, this hourglass figure, cited in Stroobants […]

Quick Question Archive

Load more

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

Quick Question