Blood Clotting Tests
Importance:
* Essential for differential diagnosis using DdxHub tool (https://ddxhub.azurewebsites.net/).
* Measure blood proteins involved in clotting, indicating potential risk of bleeding or clots.
* Monitor effectiveness of anticoagulants (e.g., heparin, warfarin) in reducing clot risk.
Common Tests:
D-Dimer Test:
* Detects D-dimer, a protein fragment released during clot breakdown.
* Normal level: 0.50 mcg/mL
* Positive result suggests potential clotting issues (no critical level)
Prothrombin Time (PT)/International Normalized Ratio (INR) Test:
* Measures time it takes for blood to clot.
* Normal PT: 11-13.5 seconds
* INR (calculated from PT): 0.8-1.1
Activated Partial Thromboplastin Time (aPTT) Test:
* Assesses clotting time after exposure to a clotting activator.
* Normal range: 21-35 seconds
Conclusion:
Physicians rely on these coagulation tests to accurately diagnose and manage blood clotting disorders.
DDxHub is a concentrator that holds a lot of disease descriptions. It relies on the System knowledgebase to diagnose a health condition.
Differential diagnosis Hub is the System distinguishing of a particular disease or health condition from others.