Our coagulation laboratory provides a full range of haemostasis and thrombophilia testing for the assessment of bleeding disorders, thrombotic risk, and therapeutic anticoagulation monitoring.
Coagulation Overview
Testing is performed on a dedicated coagulation analyser using citrated plasma, with STAT pathways for pre-operative screening and emergency INR management.
Frequently Asked Questions
Fasting is not required for standard PT/INR and APTT testing. You may take your regular medications including anticoagulants unless your physician has specifically instructed otherwise.
INR (International Normalised Ratio) is a standardised expression of Prothrombin Time that allows consistent comparison between laboratories. For patients on warfarin, the therapeutic INR target is typically 2.0u20133.0, although this varies by indication (e.g. mechanical heart valves require a higher target of 2.5u20133.5).
Routine coagulation results are available within 1u20132 hours. STAT requests are prioritised and can be ready faster. Critical values (dangerously elevated or low results) are telephoned directly to the requesting clinician immediately.
Unfractionated heparin (UFH) has a variable anticoagulant effect that must be monitored to ensure the dose is therapeutic (preventing clots) without being excessive (causing bleeding). APTT is the standard monitoring test, with a target typically 1.5u20132.5 times the control value.
INR is designed to be standardised across laboratories. However, slight variations can occur between reagent/analyser combinations. For patients requiring close monitoring (such as those with mechanical valves), it is preferable to use the same laboratory for serial testing where possible.