Coagulation Profile

Combines several key measures of blood clotting.

To evaluate clotting disorders, anticoagulant therapy and bleeding risk.

1. Tell your doctor if you take anticoagulants or other medicines that affect blood clotting.
2. Tell your doctor and the laboratory about all medicines, especially those that affect blood clotting. Do not change your treatment on your own.
3. Do not stop any medicines on your own; if needed, note the time of your last dose.
4. The blood sample is collected by a specialist; correct tube filling and sample handling are essential.

Fasting is generally not required. If another test has been ordered at the same time, the overall preparation plan may change.

A specific time is generally not required. If your doctor has set a different time, follow those instructions.

• Anticoagulant medicines
• Incorrect blood-to-anticoagulant ratio in the citrate tube
• Delayed sample processing

Venous blood, citrate tube

The blood sample is collected by a qualified staff member. The tube type, required volume, and processing and storage conditions are set by the laboratory's specific method. You do not need to store the sample yourself.

The result is affected by medicines, your clinical condition and the quality of sample collection. It should be interpreted by a doctor. What a high or low result means depends on age, symptoms, the method used and the reference interval.

If you have unusual bleeding, marked swelling, chest pain or shortness of breath, contact a doctor immediately; if symptoms are severe, seek emergency care.

Accurate filling of the citrate tube and a correct sample are critical. Prothrombin time (PT) is not the same as a general “clotting time.”