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Standardisation of the laboratory control of anticoagulant therapy


BA Bradlow
C Saunders
P Whitebread
A Lurie
GK Penford
J Metz

Abstract

The sensitivity of human and rabbit brain thromboplastin preparations to the coumarin-induced plasma defect was compared with the British comparative thromboplastin (BCn. The human thromboplastin yielded prothrombin ratios that compared favourably with those obtained with the BCT. Furthermore, the dose of anticoagulant required to maintain a prothrombin ratio in the therapeutic range was approximately similar whether the local human brain thromboplastin or the BCT was used. Rabbit brain preparations showed considerably less sensitivity to the coumarin defect. A stable suspension of human brain thromboplastin for use as a local standard was prepared and is available to laboratories in South Africa.

S. Afr. Med. J., 48, 1857 (1974).

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eISSN: 2078-5135
print ISSN: 0256-9574