Specimen Management

August 2023 Quick Question: Coag Specimen Hemolysis

Our August 2023 Quick Question asks, How do you distinguish ex vivo from intravascular plasma hemolysis? The question arises from our lengthy July 25, 2023 discussion, DIC and hemolysis, and is a poll; there is no wrong answer. Read the comments section featuring hemostasis experts Dave McGlasson, Dr. Emmanuel Favaloro, Dr. Giuseppe Lippi, and Robert […]

Quick Question Archive

July 2023 Quick Question Summary: Frozen Specimens

Our July 2023 Quick Question, How long may platelet-poor plasma be stored at –20°C? drew 52 respondents. Here are our results: 4 hours: 4 [8%] 24 hours: 4 [8%] 2 weeks: 21 [40%] 2 months: 15 [29%] 12 months: 8 [15%] This question arose in response to our lengthy June 15, 2023 post, Freezing Coagulation […]

Quick Question Archive

DIC and Hemolysis

Anne D’ Agostino asks, “Should we reject hemolyzed samples from someone in DIC?” The simple answer is “do not reject,” because the hemolysis is likely intravascular, reflecting DIC‘s microangiopathic hemolytic anemia [MAHA]. But to elaborate, there’s no foolproof way to differentiate intravascular [in vivo] hemolysis from spurious [in vitro] hemolysis, the consequence of specimen collection […]

Bleeding Disorders

Mixing Studies and Various Therapeutics

From Leslie Chaparro: We recently had a patient who had a mixing study ordered but who had recently taken tranexamic acid [TXA]. We exclude patients that have been on anticoagulants but have never really considered drugs that encourage clotting. How would this affect the patient’s mixing study? How do we keep up with all the […]

Anticoagulant Therapy

Poster: Effect of High-Dose DOACs and DOAC-Remove on LA Detection

Click here to see our ISTH poster, Rahman M, Sadeghi-Khomami A, Black KM. Effect of high-dose direct anticoagulant drugs and DOAC-Remove™ on lupus anticoagulant detection by a hexagonal phase phospholipid assay, 2023. [ISTH Abstract PB1147].

Specimen Management

July 2023 Quick Question

Our July Quick Question asks, “How long may platelet-poor plasma be stored at –20 degrees C?” This reflects our recent series of posts regarding hemostasis specimen management, including our June 21 discussion on Specimen Transport. Many specimen management issues are up for review and will be reflected in a new edition of the CLSI Guideline […]

Quick Question Archive

Specimen Transport

In further followup to our June 15, 2023, Freezing Coagulation Specimens post, here is a June 2023 CAP Today article about specimen transport. In follow-up, I [Geo] contacted Dr. Joe Wiencek, who was referenced in the article. Here is my question and his answer: Dr. Wiencek, I’m writing in response to the CAP June 2023 […]

Specimen Management

More on Specimen Storage

Frequent contributor and coag expert Dave McGlasson sent this linked scanned copy of a 1985 article in his state newsletter, “The Texan.” The article documents factor VIII deterioration when stored at –20°C. This is a follow-up to our June 15, 2023 post, Freezing Coagulation Specimens.

Coagulation Factors

Freezing Coagulation Specimens

Yesterday, June 14, 2023, I [Geo] received two questions about coagulation plasma specimen management. Heather DeVries, Indiana University, asked if there were data supporting the CLSI two-week maximum for storing plasma frozen at –20°C, and Jessica Warner, Kettering Health, asked how soon after thawing you must run an assay. The CLSI guideline H21-A5, Clinical and […]

Specimen Management

Precision BioLogic Poster at ISTH: DOAC-Remove

You are invited to visit the ISTH poster submitted by Precision BioLogic Inc.: PB1147 Effect of high-dose direct anticoagulant drugs and DOAC-Remove on lupus anticoagulant detection by a hexagonal phase phospholipid assay. The poster goes up Tuesday, 27 June 2023, 18:30–19:30.

Specimen Management

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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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