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

Ultracentrifuge Plasma?

Received 11-13-22: Hello, We have an ultracentrifuge in our lab that is used in our chemistry department for lipemic samples. In the coagulation department,

Anticoagulant Therapy

Platelet Clumping in Sodium Citrate

Here is a reprise of a Fritsma Factor post that appeared a few years ago: Here is a question on platelet clumping or satellitosis in citrate tubes from Georgina Gibbons at Summit Health. Do you have any information on patients that have platelet clumping in both the EDTA and sodium citrate tubes? We have found […]

Specimen Management

Should all Coagulation Specimens be PPP?

A reprise of a post from a few years ago: At the Mayo Medical Laboratories Coagulation Testing Quality Conference in Minneapolis, Dr. Dorothy Adcock Funk of Esoterix reported on the 2008 revision of Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) Standard H21-A5, Collection, Transport, and Processing of Blood Specimens for Testing Plasma-Based Coagulation Assays and Molecular Hemostasis Assays. One interesting […]

October 2022 Quick Question: Underfilled Tubes

Our October 2022 Quick Question asks, "What is your policy on underfilled tubes?" For some preliminary answers, please review our September 20, 2022

Quick Question Archive

September 2022 Quick Question: Specimen Management Summary

Our September 2022 Quick Question was, "You collect blood for a heparin assay. How soon must you centrifuge the specimen?"

Quick Question Archive

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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.

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