Laboratory Evaluation of Hemostasis Flashcards
Hemostasis is dependent upon which factors?
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- Vessel Wall Integrity
- Adequate Numbers of Platelets
- Proper Functioning Platelets
- Adequate Levels of Clotting Factors
- Proper Function of Fibrinolytic Pathway
Which three ways does the body achieve and make a stable hemostatic plug?3
- Blood Vessel Constriction (vasoconstriction)
- Platelet Aggregation (ahesion and activation too)
- Coagulation Cascade
What lab tests do we want to do for evaluation of hemostasis?
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PLATELET COUNT (plt) BLEEDING TIME (BT) PROTHROMBIN TIME (PT/INR) ACTIVATED PARTIAL THROMBOPLASTIN TIME (aPTT) THROMBIN TIME (TT)
What is the platelet count measuring?
What tube is it collected in?
The number of platelets per cubic millimeter of whole blood
Its on the CBC
Lavender top (EDTA)
What are the different ways to count platelets?
- Manual platelet counting
- Automated cell counter methods
- Optical counting methods
- Flow cytometric methods - Platelet count ratio method for platelet function testing
Whats a normal platelet count?
What platelet count is considered thrombocytopenia?
What is considered mild thrombocytopenia?
What is consodered severe thrombocytopenia?
Adults: 150,000-450,000/mm3
Peds: 150,000-350,000 /mm3
Below 150,000
50,000-99,999 Mild
At what platelet count do you start experiencing symtpoms?
What count is potentially life threatening?
At what count are you at high risk for spontaneous bleeding and intracranial hemorrhage?
50,000 - 20,000: first symptoms
20,000-10,000
Below 10,000
If you have a high platelet count what could be happening?
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- Acute phase reaction (most prominent is C reaction protein CRP)
- Early CML
- Essential thrombocytosis
- Polycythemia vera
- Post splenectomy (very common)
If you have a low platelet count what could be happening?
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- DIC (sepsis and trauma)
- Hemolytic anemia
- Hypersplenism
- ITP
- Leukemia
- Prosthetic heart valve
- Recent transfusion
What does bleeding time measure?
Whats it a screening test for?
What is it useful for and what is it not useful for?
A measurement of the time required for bleeding from a superficial puncture to stop.
Platelet funtion
Not a reliable predictor of post-op bleeding
Useful in the diagnosis of Von Willebrand’s
What does bleeding time really measure?
how well platelets interact with blood vessel walls to form blood clots.
How often should we blot in a bleeding time test?
Blot incision q 30 seconds until bleeding stops
What should we avoid 2 weeks prior to a bleeding time test?
Whats the normal bleeding time?
Avoid aspirin 2 weeks prior to test
Normal: 3-8 minutes
What could indicate a high bleeding time?
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- Platelet dysfunction
- DIC (but probably won’t do the test here)
- Leukemia
- Liver disease
- Thrombocytopenia
- Von Willebrand’s
- Vasculitis
What does prothrombin time measure?
Measures vitamin K dependent clotting ability, and extrinsic pathway