Quick Question Archive

April 2023 Quick Question: Prince Alexis

Our April 2023 Quick Question asked, “What was Russian Prince Alexis’s disorder? Our 41 participants chose: Hemophilia A [FVIII deficiency] 16 [39%] Hemophilia B [FIX deficiency] 15 [37%] Hemophilia C [FXI deficiency] 3 [7 %] Unknown 7 [17%] While the bodies of the Tsar, Tsarina, three daughters, and servants were exhumed in 1991, the remains […]

Bleeding Disorders

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

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

February, 2023 Quick Question: VWF Activity Assays

Our February 2023 Quick Question, “What VWF activity assay do you use?” attracted 32 responses. Here are the results: Automated VWF:RCo: 12 [38%] VWF:RCo: 10 [31%] VWF:GP1bR: 3 [9%] VWF:GP 1bM: 4 [13%] VWF:Ab: 2 [6%] VWF:CB: 1 [3%] Although the aggregometer-based ristocetin cofactor activity assay [VWF:RCo] is criticized for poor reproducibility, with interassay CV […]

Bleeding Disorders

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

VWF Activity Assay

Preliminary to our February 2023 Quick Question, here is a detailed January 2023 CAP Today article entitled “Ins and Outs of von Willebrand Factor Activity Assays.” In addition to the time-honored, but imprecise optical aggregometry-based von Willebrand Ristocetin Cofactor [VWF:RCo] assay, we now have these activity assays that, except for VWF:RCo, function without reagent-platelets… VWF:RCo: […]

Bleeding Disorders

January 2023 Quick Question: Tranexamic Acid

On October 25, 2022, I [Geo] had total knee replacement surgery. Just before becoming unconscious, I asked the anesthesiologist what was in the IV. I was surprised to learn one of my therapeutics was tranexamic acid [TXA], whose purpose was to control bleeding. TXA has been around for a long time, but I’m curious about […]

Quick Question Archive

December 2022 Quick Question: Thrombosis Risk Factor Profile Response

Welcome to 2023. Our December 2022 Quick Question, which drew 45 responses, asks, “What parameter is NOT part of your thrombosis risk factor profile? The answers were: Antithrombin [1, 3%] Protein C [3, 7% ] Protein S [1, 2%] Prothrombin 20210 mutation [1, 3%] Lipoprotein [a] [38, 85%] As anticipated, most of us have dropped, […]

Quick Question Archive

December, 2022 Quick Question: Thrombosis Risk Profiles

I’ve been reviewing Choosing Wisely recommendations and Medscape discussions on the importance of assays for congenital thrombosis risk factors such as antithrombin, protein S, and protein C. We’d like to know what comprises our profiles by asking “What parameter is NOT part of your thrombosis risk factor profile?” Please access our December Quick Question on […]

Quick Question Archive

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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