Redefining and refining hemostasis laboratory services

Clinical laboratorians provide information and services that contribute to maximizing the effective delivery of care in today’s complex healthcare system, producing accurate test results that enable healthcare providers to make the right diagnostic and therapeutic decisions.

In the present pandemic of COVID-19, coagulation assays play a very important role especially D-dimer. There are many equipment available with full automation, semi-automation, or manual.
Following is a gist of standout technical advantages and corresponding clinical benefits of solutions (instruments).

Universal distinct features. Positive identification of reagents and samples. Ensuring pre-analytical quality assurance and avoiding manual/subjective errors of test selection. Real-time tracking of reagents. Ensuring optimal accountability of tests run and reagents consumed. Real-time tracking of time to test result/calibration/QC. Automated dual lot management for reagents, QC Material, and software navigation.

Low–mid segment. Rotor technology (high throughput), generating rapid results for faster clinical decision making. Clot curve, being an optical platform, the distinct advantage in the form of clot curve, enables assessment of reaction to understand the pre-analytical, analytical and post analytical aspects. Unique reading wavelength, the characteristic wavelength at which the absorbance is read, virtually eliminates any interference with hemolysis, icterus, and lipemia.

Mid-high segment. Signature clot waveform with derivatives, the hallmark feature, even in this segment, remains the clot waveform, which helps assess sample integrity, characteristic of test sample reaction as well as other determinants in producing final results, including failed samples. Specialized assays, DD-HS, HIT, FXIII, and vWF:RiCoF are some of the specifically designed functional assays that complete the horizon of laboratory evaluation of hemostasis. Second-generation HIL check, not only the sample as a whole but every assay parameter can also be evaluated for HIL interference. This enables the clinician in choosing between resampling or going ahead with the most important parameter.

Automated chemiluminescent technology. Accuracy of ELISA-based coagulation assays, high sensitivity and specificity, unprecedented efficiency for key specialty assays with virtually no optical interference. This allows for highly reliable assay reports at shortest possible time. Specialised assays, vWF:CB, anti-β(2)GP1-Domain1, and ADAMTS-13 are the latest offerings in specialized parameters to complete the spectrum of hemostasis testing. Laboratorians’ choice, Up to 20 different assays onboard and available 24×7. 60 tests/hour throughput. Results in as little as 25 minutes. STAT or batch sample processing.

Outlook
The hemostasis (coagulation) laboratory offers a wide variety of testing to aid in the diagnosis, management, and monitoring of patients with bleeding disorders, or to aid in evaluating patients with thrombotic or fibrinolytic abnormalities. A pathologist, hematopathologist, or a hemostasiologist requires an adequate expertise, exposure, experience and edification along with existing and evolving (healthcare) diagnostic technologies in complementing to his/her clinical acumen in orchestrating and synchronizing the clinical information and laboratory data in aiding the clinical management of the patient. Hence, state-of-the-art technology, with features over and above the contemporary means and modes, could prove beneficial, rather a boon, to the laboratory doctors and professionals.

Besides coagulation, a lot of additional new parameters can also be tested on the latest equipment, such as etiology of bleeding diathesis, thrombosis, factor assays, and clot wave forms. This makes diagnosis very cost-effective and more time-efficient for patient management.