[The "activated coagulation time (ACT)": two simple screening methods for evaluating coagulation disorders in dogs].
The use of the activated coagulation time (ACT) for testing the intrinsic coagulation is well established among veterinary practitioners in the USA. The advantage of the ACT compared to other coagulation tests is its ease to be performed under practice conditions. The ACT may be measured manually or instrumentally. The reference range of our instrumental measurement is between 90 and 120 seconds (median 105 seconds), of the manual measurement at room temperature between 115 and 145 seconds (median 125 seconds). Advantages of the instrumental method are the smaller amount of blood (0.4 ml versus 2.0 ml) necessary to perform the test, and the smaller potential for errors by unexperienced examiners. The spread is comparable between the two methods. The most important cause of false results is poor venipuncture technique: traumatic venipuncture will trigger the coagulation cascade already during venipuncture causing an artificially shortened ACT.
Glaus
T
T
Veterinär-Medizinische Klinik, Universität Zürich.
Hudak-Glaus
D
D
Hoeptner
C
C
Arnold
P
P
Lutz
H
H
D000818:Animals; D001777:Blood Coagulation; D001778:Blood Coagulation Disorders / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000662:veterinary*; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D004285:Dogs / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D018962:Phlebotomy / Q000592:standards / Q000662:veterinary; D012016:Reference Values; D014914:Whole Blood Coagulation Time / Q000662:veterinary