The method of thawing a frozen sample in the coagulation lab has a significant effect on testing results. It is imperative that the samples be thawed properly. The preferred method is thawing for 3-5 minutes in a circulating water bath. The thawing time of 3-5 minutes is based on a 1.0 mL vial and may need …Continue Reading
Coagulation laboratories have a variety of choices for reagents. What are the differences and why are they important? Fresh frozen reagents are collected from the donor and frozen immediately. After thawing, they require no preparation, thaw and go. Lyophilization is the process of freeze drying a reagent to remove the liquid component. The process leaves …Continue Reading
Lot to lot correlations are common in today’s clinical laboratories. As explained in the recent CAP today article, “Differences between reagents and testing systems are known to contribute to test result variability, making crossover studies necessary when using new reagents or implementing new testing systems.”[1] Regulatory and accreditation standards require the lab to evaluate each …Continue Reading
