Course Outline
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- Introduction to Coagulation Inhibitors and Factor Deficiencies
- Evaluating prolonged prothrombin time and activated partial thromboplastin time test results
- Performing a mixing study
- Introduction to Mixing Studies
- When To Perform a Mixing Study
- Mixing studies may help to determine the presence of which of the following?
- Mixing Study Test Principle
- Mixing Study: Specimen Requirements
- Performance of a Mixing Study
- Performance of a Mixing Study, continued
- Performance of a Mixing Study, continued
- What is the ratio of patient plasma to pooled normal plasma that is usually used in the performance of a mixing study?
- What is the minimum percentage of each coagulation factor that must be present in a patient's plasma to produce a normal PT and aPTT test result?
- Analyzing and interpreting mixing study results
- Case Study 1
- Interpreting the Mixing Study Results: Case Study One
- Case Study One, continued
- Case Study One, continued
- Case Study One, continuedWhich factor level(s) could be deficient?
- Case Study 2
- Case Study 3
- Interpreting the Mixing Study Results: Case Study Three
- Case Study Three, continuedInitial aPTTImmediate aPTT Mixing StudyIncubated aPTT Mixing StudyReference Range63 sec. 26 sec.65 sec.21-34 sec.Has the aP...
- Determination of further coagulation studies
- References
Additional Information
Level of instruction: Intermediate
Intended Audience: Medical laboratory scientists and technicians. This course is also appropriate for medical laboratory science students and pathology residents.
Author Information: Leah Coppolino, MPH, CLS(NCA), MLS(ASCP) is the Director of the Clinical Laboratory Science Program at St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She holds a Masters in Public Health from Thomas Jefferson University.
Reviewer Information:
Donna D. Castellone, MS, MLS(ASCP)SH has worked as a coagulation specialist in both clinical and commercial settings. Ms. Castellone holds a Masters's Degree in Health Science and Administration from State University at Stony Brook, Stony Brook, New York. She has written over 70 articles, was a contributing author for three textbooks, and is a frequent lecturer at laboratory workshops.
Laurie Bjerklie, MA, MLS(ASCP)
CM is currently a Content Developer for MediaLab and LabCE. She has been
in higher education for over 14 years, has been a professor in both MLT and MLS
programs, and served as a Program Director.
Course Description: Prolonged PT and aPTT results are caused by many different conditions. It is important for medical laboratory scientists to be able to distinguish between preanalytic causes, secondary clinical causes, and important and potentially dangerous causes such as coagulation factor deficiencies and circulating coagulation factor inhibitors. Upon completion of this course, you will be able to identify: the common causes associated with prolonged PT and/or aPTT results, when it is appropriate to perform a mixing study, how to perform and interpret mixing studies, how to differentiate between factor deficiencies and factor inhibitors, and further testing that can be done to confirm mixing study results.