Point Of Care: Anti-coagulant Testing
Hemostatis testing at the point of care has been used frequently in adaptive clinical trials involving dose adjustment and in blinded studies.
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Blinded Diagnostics specializes in the application of point-of-care diagnostic platforms for testing patients enrolled in clinical trials.
Hemostatis testing at the point of care has been used frequently in adaptive clinical trials involving dose adjustment and in blinded studies. Most common tests include PT/INR, ACT and APTT. CLIA-Waived and moderately complex platforms use small blood volumes of whole or venous samples. Time to results in minutes.
Since the Prothrombin time test (PT test) evaluates the ability of blood to clot properly, and to help diagnose bleeding. It is often used in conjunction with the PTT to evaluate the function of all coagulation factors. Occasionally, the test may be used to screen patients for any previously undetected bleeding problems prior to surgical procedures. International Normalized Ratio (INR) is used to monitor the effectiveness of anticoagulants such as, warfarin (COUMADIN®), which helps inhibit the formation of blood clots for patient who have experienced recurrent inappropriate blood clotting from:
- Heart attacks
- Strokes
- Deep vein thrombosis (DVT)
Anti-coagulant therapy is also given as a preventative measure for patients who have:
- Artificial heart valves
- Surgeries such as knee replacements (on a short-term basis)
The anti-coagulant drugs must be carefully monitored to maintain a balance between preventing clots and causing excessive bleeding.
The ACT test is commonly used to monitor the effect of high dose heparin before, during, and shortly after surgeries that require intense anticoagulation measures such as:
- Cardiac bypass surgery
- Cardiac angioplasty
- Dialysis
The ACT test is sometimes used, along with the PTT, to monitor the therapeutic effect of a direct thrombin inhibitor, such as argatroban or bivalirudin. The PTT test is used to investigate unexplained bleeding or clotting. By evaluating the results of the two tests together, a doctor can gain clues as to what bleeding or clotting disorder may be present.
A PTT is often used to monitor standard (unfractionated, UF) heparin anticoagulant therapy. When it is administered for therapeutic purposes, it must be closely monitored. If too much is given, the treated person may bleed excessively; with too little, the treated person may continue to clot.
See an expanded list of POC tests at www.pointofcaresearch.com
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