title: Clinical implications of clotting screens.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Coagulation screens are performed routinely in every hospital with the notion that an abnormal result will pick up low levels of coagulation factors and thus aid in determining patients' bleeding risk.
  
  
  METHODS
  We analysed all the clotting factor assays performed for abnormal clotting screen in a tertiary hospital over a 1-year period.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Isolated prolongation of prothrombin time (PT) is extremely rarely clinically significant, and there is no correlation with degree of prolongation and factor VII deficiency. One-third cases of isolated prolonged activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) were clinically insignificant, while in the rest, a factor deficiency which may be deemed as a potential risk for bleeding was noted. Prolonged PT and APTT in combination were noted in 38 cases, but in 29 of these patients all the measured clotting factors and fibrinogen were in the normal range.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Abnormal clotting screens may not always be associated with clinically significant decrease in coagulation factor.
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
authors.forename: S E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Thorell
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Nash
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Thachil
mesh_terms: D001777:Blood Coagulation; D001778:Blood Coagulation Disorders / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis; D001779:Blood Coagulation Factors; D001780:Blood Coagulation Tests / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D010314:Partial Thromboplastin Time; D011517:Prothrombin Time; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D062606:Tertiary Care Centers
chemical_list: D001779:Blood Coagulation Factors
keywords: Coagulation; fresh frozen plasma; prothrombin time; thromboplastin time