How do you stop platelets from clumping?

Many labs will have an alternate tube drawn or use another method to help resolve the clumping. Less commonly used tubes are CTAD (trisodium citrate, theophylline, adenosine, dipyridamole) and heparin. CTAD acts directly on platelets and inhibits platelet factor 4 thus minimizing platelet activation.

What causes platelets to clump in EDTA?

2, 3 Platelet clumping in the presence of EDTA is caused by an autoantibody against glycoprotein IIb/IIIa located on the cell membrane of platelets. 4, 5 Although other anticoagulants such as heparin and sodium citrate rarely induce such a phenomena, it is possible.

What is the clumping of platelets called?

Pseudothrombocytopenia or spurious thrombocytopenia is an in-vitro sampling problem which may mislead the diagnosis towards the more critical condition of thrombocytopenia. The phenomenon occurs when the anticoagulant used while testing the blood sample causes clumping of platelets which mimics a low platelet count.

When to use the platelet clumping protocol?

The Platelet Clumping Protocol is used to resolve falsely decreased PLT counts in patients whose platelets clump in the presence of EDTA. The lab will test the citrate tube and the EDTA tube submitted for the CBCor PLT count ordered concurrently.

How are platelets clumped in a lavender top tube?

Platelet clumps tend to form in samples collected with difficulty and in a small number of individuals (about 1/2000) whose platelets react with the EDTA anticoagulant in lavender-top tubes. When the number of platelets measured by the instrument is normal, the presence of platelet clumping is of little clinical significance.

Which is better a Doser or a doserless grinder?

Cleaner operation – Since the ground coffee goes into the doser, there is less splatter of coffee grinds on the countertop. Less static – The doser allows less static of coffee grinds. This is not to say there is never any static, but there is a lot less complaints of static with the doser model.

Is it normal to have clumps of platelets?

In such instances the instrument does not count these clumps of platelets and gives the platelet count as factitiously low. This can be confirmed by examining a peripheral blood smear in which many clumps of platelets will be seen suggesting that the platelet count is normal.