Coagulation Profile

More About Coagulation Profile

Prothrombin time (PT)
The Prothrombin time (PT) test, standardised as the INR test is most often used to check how well anti-coagulant or "blood-thinning" tablets such as warfarin and phenindione are working. Anti-coagulant tablets help prevent the formation of blood clots (they do not "thin the blood" as is popularly thought). This is particularly important in people with heart conditions such as atrial fibrillation or artificial valves, or people with a history of recurrent blood clots. The drug's effectiveness can be determined by how much it prolongs the PT (measured in seconds), or increases the INR (a standardised ratio of the patient's PT versus a normal sample). Because the way the body metabolises the drug varies among individuals as well as within the same person every day a repeat test has to be done approximately every 4 weeks to ensure that the dose of the drug is the correct one, for the condition treated.

aPTT
The aPTT test measures the length of time (in seconds) that it takes for clotting to occur when reagents are added to plasma (liquid portion of the blood) in a test tube and is used to check for potential bleeding abnormalities particularly in patients about to undergo surgical procedures.
The activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT or PTT) is a measure of the functionality of the intrinsic and common pathways of the coagulation cascade. The body uses the coagulation cascade to produce blood clots to seal off injuries to blood vessels and tissues, to prevent further blood loss, and to give the damaged areas time to heal. The cascade consists of a group of coagulation factors. These proteins are activated sequentially along either the extrinsic (tissue related) or intrinsic (blood vessel related) pathways. The branches of the pathway then come together into the common pathway, and complete their task with the formation of a stable blood clot. When a person starts bleeding, these three pathways have to work together.
Each component of the coagulation cascade must be functioning properly and be present in sufficient quantity for normal blood clot formation. If there is an inherited or acquired deficiency in one or more of the factors, or if the factors are functioning abnormally, then stable clot formation will be inhibited and excessive bleeding and/or clotting may occur.
The aPTT test measures the length of time (in seconds) that it takes for clotting to occur when reagents are added to plasma (liquid portion of the blood) in a test tube.

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