Semin Thromb Hemost 2007; 33(3): 226-234
DOI: 10.1055/s-2007-971808
Copyright © 2007 by Thieme Medical Publishers, Inc., 333 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001, USA.

Emerging Technologies in Hemostasis Diagnostics: A Report from the Australasian Society of Thrombosis and Haemostasis Emerging Technologies Group

Murray Adams1 , Chris Ward2 , Jim Thom3 , Alessandra Bianchi4 , Emma Perrin5 , Douglas Coghlan6 , Mark Smith7
  • 1School of Human Life Sciences, University of Tasmania, Tasmania, Australia, and School of Biomedical Sciences, Curtin University of Technology, Western Australia
  • 2Department of Haematology and Transfusion Medicine, Royal North Shore Hospital, New South Wales, and University of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
  • 3Haematology Department, Royal Perth Hospital, Western Australia, Australia
  • 4Department of Haematology, Concord Hospital, New South Wales, Australia
  • 5Queensland Health Pathology Service, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Queensland, Australia
  • 6Department of Haematology and Genetic Medicine, Flinders University, South Australia, Australia
  • 7Haematology Department, Canterbury Health Laboratories, Christchurch, New Zealand
Further Information

Publication History

Publication Date:
10 April 2007 (online)

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ABSTRACT

Technology in hemostasis laboratories has evolved enormously during the last 30 years. Although many scientists and clinicians will remember the traditional tilt-tube techniques to screen for coagulation abnormalities and to monitor anticoagulant therapy, the hemostasis laboratory today uses a variety of modern technologies. These include flow cytometry, chromogenic assays, molecular typing (e.g., polymerase chain reaction), immunologic assays (e.g., enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays), functional assays of specific coagulation proteins, and platelet function analyzers. Although these advances in technology have resulted in greater capability, productivity, sensitivity, specificity, and ultimately, improvement in the clinical care of patients, controversies and limitations remain. This article highlights new and emerging technologies in hemostasis and discusses whether they have improved or are likely to improve laboratory diagnostics by specifically addressing the following: (1) Can new technologies help predict likelihood of thrombosis recurrence? (2) Has an understanding of the role of a disintegrin-like and metalloprotease with thrombospondin type 1 motifs (ADAMTS13) in microangiopathy resulted in improved diagnostic methods for this disorder? (3) Does thrombelastography allow better definition of bleeding risk than conventional hemostasis assays, especially in settings of acute hemostatic pathology?