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Vacutainer tube used for PT and PTT blood tests. Prothrombin time is typically analyzed by a laboratory technologist on an automated instrument at 37 °C (as a nominal approximation of normal human body temperature). [citation needed]
Prothrombin time (PT) and its derived measures of prothrombin ratio (PR) and INR are measures of the extrinsic pathway of coagulation. This test is also called "ProTime INR" and "INR PT". They are used to determine the clotting tendency of blood, in the measure of warfarin dosage, liver damage, and vitamin K status. [16]
The partial thromboplastin time (PTT), also known as the activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT or APTT), is a blood test that characterizes coagulation of the blood. A historical name for this measure is the Kaolin-cephalin clotting time ( KCCT ), [ 1 ] reflecting kaolin and cephalin as materials historically used in the test.
Clotting time is a general term for the time required for a sample of blood to form a clot, or, in medical terms, coagulate.The term "clotting time" is often used when referring to tests such as the prothrombin time (PT), activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT or PTT), activated clotting time (ACT), thrombin time (TT), or Reptilase time.
The basic purpose of these tests is to determine the cause of prolongation of Prothrombin Time (PT), Partial Thromboplastin Time, or sometimes of thrombin time (TT). Mixing studies take advantage of the fact that factor levels that are 50 percent of normal should give a normal Prothrombin time (PT) or Partial thromboplastin time (PTT) result. [2]
Normal values for thrombin time may be 12 to 14 seconds, [6] but the test has significant reagent variability. If batroxobin is used, the time should be between 15 and 20 seconds. Thrombin time can be prolonged by heparin, fibrin degradation products, and fibrinogen deficiency or abnormality.
Notably, when one examines the lab values in Vitamin K deficiency [see below] the prothrombin time is elevated, but the partial thromboplastin time is normal or only mildly prolonged. The deficiency leads to decreased activity in the intrinsic pathway (F-IX) factors, monitored by PTT, and the extrinsic pathway (F-VII) which PT monitors.
Reference ranges (reference intervals) for blood tests are sets of values used by a health professional to interpret a set of medical test results from blood samples. Reference ranges for blood tests are studied within the field of clinical chemistry (also known as "clinical biochemistry", "chemical pathology" or "pure blood chemistry"), the ...