Thrombophilia

Platelet Count in APA

From Kathleen Doig, PhD, Professor, Biomedical Laboratory Diagnostics at Michigan State University. George – a question arose in our senior Medical Laboratory Science class today as students were constructing algorithms to investigate some case problems I gave them. Here’s the question: What is the platelet count for patients with thrombosis due to antiphospholipid syndrome (APA)? George […]

Lupus Anticoagulant Panel

From Don Wahl, Sanford Health: What are the recommended tests to include in a lupus anticoagulant/antiphospholipid antibody (LA/APL) panel? Is there an antiphospholipid group that gives recommendations? Thank you, Don. Hello, Don, and thank you for your question. The group you need is provided in the title of this reference, and the reference provides the assays that […]

Hillary Clinton’s Thrombosis

Here is an audio summary of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s Cerebral Sinus Venous Thrombosis episode by Samuel Goldhaber, MD

Akers PIFA Kit

From Lynn Gingras, MT (ASCP), Rush-Copley Medical Center: Our institution is getting several complaints from the cardiologists as to the turnaround time of the heparin-induced platelet antibody (HIPA, heparin-induced thrombocytopenia with thrombosis, HIT, HITT) testing that we currently send out to a reference lab. Is there any value to bringing in the Akers Bioscience Particle ImmunoFiltration Assay (PIFA) […]

Arterial Thrombosis

Thrombophilia Guidelines

From Mohamed Bashir, originally posted November 17, 2012: What is the guideline for thrombophilia testing, how to test antithrombin (AT, antithrombin III, ATIII), protein C (PC), and protein S (PS). Hello, Dr. Mohamed Bashir, and thank you for your question. You may find a complete review of thrombosis risk testing in our audio modules 14, 15, […]

MTHFR Double Heterozygote?

A question from a colleague: My relative is 35 and is currently about 20 weeks pregnant. She has 2 healthy children, but has also had two miscarriages in the past three years. She is a double heterozygote for MTHFR C677T and A1298C. If I am interpreting the literature correctly, the double heterozygosity should not increase […]

APCR Screening: Everyone?

Our recent series of discussions and comments on the efficacy of D-dimer results in superficial thrombophlebitis for factor V Leiden (FVL) mutation patients has pointed us to a thoughtful discussion of the value of screening unselected populations for activated protein C resistance (APCR), the condition that correlates closely with FVL. Dr. Emmanual Favaloro’s current article; Favaloro EJ, McDonald D. Futility […]

Screening Assays

D-dimer Efficacy in Factor V Leiden Mutation

This 6/30/2012 question from a physician arrived through the American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science Consumer Web Forum. “Does delayed fibrinolysis in a known factor V Leiden (FVL) mutation patient reduce the value of a negative D-dimer test?” George’s initial response: Thank you for your question. I was prepared to answer that there is no connection, […]

How Long Does HIT Ab Remain?

In the comments section of our

Anticoagulant Therapy

HIT Kits

From Ginger Weeden, MLS (ASCP)cm, Bio-Rad Laboratories: George, What heparin-induced thrombocytopenia with thrombosis (HIT) testing is available in the US? I’m wondering how many manufacturers there are. Thanks for any information. Hi, Ginger, and thanks for your question. All the C14 serotonin release assay methods (washed platelets) available from reference labs are laboratory-developed tests. Here are the manufacturers I […]

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.

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