News and Events

  • Activated Protein C Resistance (APCR), Factor V Leiden (FVL), and a Case Report of a Family with the presence of FVL over 5 generations.

    Posted: September 25, 2020

    Activated Protein C Resistance (APCR), Factor V Leiden (FVL), and a Case Report of a Family with the presence of FVL over 5 generations. Prior to 1992 the special coagulation laboratory performed testing on three inherited thrombotic risk factors. Antithrombin (formerly known as ATIII), Protein C, and Protein S deficiencies were implicated in venous thromboembolism…

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  • COVID-19 – Frequently Asked Questions

    Posted: September 3, 2020

    – Contributed by Abi Kasberg, PhD The global pandemic caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 has captured the attention of researchers, medical professionals, governments, and nearly everyone worldwide.  The scientific and medical communities are forming collaborations, gathering data, developing therapeutics, and communicating findings at a swift speed.   Indeed, it can be a challenge to stay informed…

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  • ISTH 2020

    Posted: August 18, 2020

    The recent ISTH 2020 meeting that was supposed to be held in Milan, Italy was still a success even in a virtual setting.  As always, the topics were extremely informative.  The addition of ISTH TV was an innovative way of presenting new information in a roundtable format with top members of the coagulation community.  The…

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  • COVID-19 and Clotting Blog Post PART 2

    Posted: August 3, 2020

    THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC AND THE ISSUE(S) OF ANTICOAGULATION-Part II Since writing Part I of COVID-19 and Clotting Clot Club, we in the United States have seen the numbers of confirmed cases of the virus jump from approximately 300,000 to over 3,000,000 infected in the last two months. With that massive increase, we have had to…

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  • COVID-19 and Clotting Blog Post PART 1

    Posted: May 26, 2020

    THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC AND THE ISSUE(S) OF ANTICOAGULATION-Part I We are now experiencing a once in a lifetime health issue that has not been seen since the Spanish Flu of the early 20th century.  A pandemic of epic proportions has infected millions of people worldwide and taken over 300,000 lives, with the largest number of…

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  • Heparin-Induced Thrombocytopenia (HIT) – A sensible laboratory approach (hopefully)

    Posted: April 2, 2020

    David L. McGlasson, MS MLS(ASCP) Posted: January 28, 2020 Heparin-Induced Thrombocytopenia (HIT) – A sensible laboratory approach (hopefully) What’s a HIT? Back in 1980, I was exposed to my first request for a work-up on a disorder I had never experienced. A hematologist at our institution came in with a request to see if a patient…

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  • The Latest Research on Direct Oral Anticoagulant (DOAC) Interferences in Testing

    Posted: January 28, 2020

    David L. McGlasson, MS MLS(ASCP) Posted: January 28, 2020 The Latest Research on Direct Oral Anticoagulant (DOAC) Interferences in Testing Can DOACs be removed from plasma samples to prevent interference with plasma coagulation and chromogenic testing? DOACs may affect almost all of the clotting coagulation methods results and some chromogenic assays. In the last few years,…

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  • The Chromogenic Factor X Assay (CFX)

    Posted: December 10, 2019

    David L. McGlasson, MS, MLS(ASCP) Posted: December 10, 2019 This month’s Clot Club entry discusses the chromogenic Factor X assay. What is it? And how is it different from the anti-FXa assay? MONITORING WARFARIN THERAPY, DIRECT THROMBIN INHIBITORS (DTI), AND SUBJECTS ON ORAL ANTICOAGULANT THERAPY (OAT) WITH INTERFERING SUBSTANCES SUCH AS MEDICATIONS AND NON-SPECIFIC INHIBITORS…

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  • Cannabinoid effects on coagulation? Does organic weed mess with your blood flow?

    Posted: September 26, 2019

    David L. McGlasson, MS, MLS(ASCP) Posted: September 26, 2019 Ok I admit it I am a child of the 1960’s. However, I spent the last three years in the Army 1966-1969 during the Vietnam War. After I got out of the military I spent a year doing veterinary pharmacology research and then headed back to…

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  • Laboratory Tests for von Willebrand Factor (VWF)

    Posted: August 20, 2019

    David L. McGlasson, MS, MLS(ASCP) Posted: August 20, 2019   The laboratory work up of von Willebrand Disease (vWD) involves determining the level of VWF by both functional and antigenic methods. Per recommendations from the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) that were developed by a working group in 2008, initial testing for VWD should…

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  • HTRS 2019 Conference Summary

    Posted: June 25, 2019

    David L. McGlasson, MS, MLS(ASCP) Posted: June 25, 2019 On May 9-11, 2019 the Hemostasis Thrombosis Research Society (HTRS) and North American Foundation of Thrombosis and Hemostasis (NAFTH) met in New Orleans, LA for a large Clotting and Bleeding Clam Bake of clinical and research information sharing. The first large exchange of information was that…

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  • Factor XIII

    Posted: April 30, 2019

    Factor XIII Quick Facts Molecular mass: 320 000 D Synthesis: Liver, Megakaryocytes Plasma concentration: 2mg/l Half-life: 8 days Normal range: 50 – 150% or 0.5 – 1.5U/ml   Factor XIII, also known as fibrin stabilizing factor, is a heterodimer (FXIII-A2B2) composed of two catalytic A-subunits and two carrier B-subunits. With thrombin cleavage of the A-subunit followed by dissociation of the…

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  • Heparin in the News – The Genene Jones “Killer Nurse” Story

    Posted: April 30, 2019

    David L. McGlasson, MS, MLS(ASCP) Posted: April 30, 2019 As a follow-up to our Heparin issue, we bring you some stories of heparin in the news. “In the early 1980’s I was working at the University of Texas Health Science Center and University Hospital in San Antonio, TX. I was working in the Hemostasis Lab at…

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  • HOW TO MONITOR HEPARIN THERAPY. STILL A CONTROVERSY?

    Posted: March 25, 2019

    David L. McGlasson, MS, MLS(ASCP) Posted: March 22, 2019 Since its introduction in 1953, the activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) has been used to monitor the treatment effect that heparin is having on a sample of blood. And for about as long, a litany of factors that interfere with the aPTT test’s ability to accurately measure…

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  • About David L. McGlasson, MS MLS(ASCP)

    Posted: February 26, 2019

    David L. McGlasson, MS. MLS(ASCP)cm was a GS-13 staff researcher at the 59th Clinical Research Division at Lackland JBSA in San Antonio, TX until retirement.. He holds degrees from the University of Incarnate Word and San Antonio College in San Antonio, TX and certification from the Gradwohl School of Laboratory Technique in Medical Technology. In…

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  • UPDATE ON THE DIRECT ORAL ANTICOAGULANTS (DOACs): WHERE ARE WE IN THE LABORATORY ALMOST TEN YEARS LATER?

    Posted: February 7, 2019

    David L. McGlasson, MS, MLS(ASCP)   THE FOLLOWING MEDICATION(s) MAY AFFECT THE COAGULATION OF YOUR BLOOD   Vitamin E-, Ginseng, Garlic, Gingko Biloba, Feverfew, Fish Oil, Glucosamine. Celebrex, Vioxx, Aspirin (ASA, Baby ASA, CAMA, Ecotrin, Fiorinal) Percodan, Dislacid, ECASA, Zorprin Arthropan (Cholin salicylate); Voltaren (Diclofenac, Cataflam), Dolobid (Dilflunisal); Lodine (Etodolac); Nalfon (Fenoprofen Calcium) Ibuprofen- Advil,…

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  • Clot Club – Here The Clot Thickens

    Posted: January 28, 2019

    “HERE THE CLOT THICKENS” David L. McGlasson, MS MLS(ASCP) Welcome to Clot Club. Where are “a watched clot never thickens.” I am honored to be asked to start this hopefully long set of discussions on the mysteries and truths in the area of blood coagulation testing, theory and facts. Some people say “coag” is an…

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