Prothrombin Time (PT) testing has been added to the menu of this company’s hand held point of care instrument, the i-STAT System. The Prothrombin Time test can assist in the management of patients on the oral blood-thinning medication Warfarin, which goes by the brand name Coumadin.
     This PT test utilizes a small fresh whole blood sample, obtained either by venipuncture or fingerstick, and provides accurate test results in less than three minutes. A highly sensitive recombinant tissue factor is used, with an International Sensitivity Index (ISI) of 1.0. Results are reported in the International Normalized Ratio (INR) format as well as (optional) seconds.
     In clinical trials, this PT test provided excellent INR correlation with laboratory plasma-based Prothrombin Time methodologies utilizing 1.0 ISI reagent. This test joins a 14-test menu on the i-STAT system that includes blood gases, electrolytes and coagulation.
I-Stat
www.i-stat.com
Keywords: point of care, coagulation, TDM