Very Sociable Guy

Chest Pain

Girl with a Rash  

England 1944

Trouble Healing

Morning Stiffness

Bruises Easily

Shortness of Breath

Drug Interactions

Review

Thanks to

Quiz Please

• Mixing studies: The patient's sample is mixed with an equal volume of experimentally developed plasma deficient in known factors. We see if the prolonged value will correct.
  • Barium sulfate absorbed plasma lacks II, VII, IX and X, but contains the others.
  • Serum itself is deficient in I, V, VII and XIII, but contains the others.
  • Once the patient's sample is combined with an equal volume of the replacement plasma, or serum, the PT and/or aPTT is repeated.
  • If the addition of the test plasma corrects the value, then you've narrowed down the number of possible missing factors.
• Specific factor assays: Test for amount of specific clotting factors.
• D-dimer and fibrin degradation product assay: Test for disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC).
This test detects for fibrin breakdown products.
• D-dimer is most specific.
• Clot stability assay (Factor XIII): tests to see if a fibrin clot has been appropriately cross-linked by activated XIII.
• Add acid or urea to the clot and see if dissolves (takes 24 hours).
• If it dissolves, then there was no XIII.
• Anti-cardiolipin antibodies (also known as lupus anticoagulant): This is an 'anticoagulant' in the lab only. In the patient it causes thrombosis.

What about testing for thrombotic problems?                                                    Back