title: Evaluation of Argatroban as a Potential Anticoagulant for Clinical Laboratory Analysis: Precision, Stability and Interference Study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Argatroban is a small, synthetic molecule which is a direct thrombin inhibitor and has been confirmed to be a potent anticoagulant in clinical treatments. However, only a few applications related to laboratory medicine have been reported. The purpose of this study was to understand the performance and value of argatroban as an anticoagulant for clinical laboratory analysis in a single test tube.
  
  
  METHODS
  We examined 93 blood samples and evaluated the anticoagulation time, precision, stability, and interference of argatroban in routine laboratory tests.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The anticoagulation time was associated positively with the concentration of argatroban. Chemical and hematological results for argatroban-treated samples were similar to those obtained with serum or ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid treated specimens. Only the white blood cell count was decreased in the first 5 hours after blood collection and the difference was outside clinically acceptable limits; the mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration was affected slightly by different concentrations of argatroban.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Argatroban is an attractive candidate for use as a laboratory anticoagulant that can be used for evaluation of chemical and hematological analytes in a single test tube in routine laboratory work.
authors.forename: Rongrong
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jing
authors.forename: Ming
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cui
authors.forename: Huimin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Lili
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Wen
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000925:Anticoagulants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001120:Arginine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D004492:Edetic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology; D004909:Erythrocyte Indices; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010875:Pipecolic Acids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013449:Sulfonamides
chemical_list: D000925:Anticoagulants; D010875:Pipecolic Acids; D013449:Sulfonamides; D001120:Arginine; D004492:Edetic Acid; C031942:argatroban