ILOs

• Understand the physiological processes involved in the coagulation system.
• Understand the basic laboratory tests that can be performed to assess the coagulation system i.e. PT, APTT, TCT, fibrinogen, D-dimer
• Recognise the abnormalities that can occur in basic coagulation tests and the pathological conditions they might represent
• Achieve a basic understanding of the inherited and acquired disorders of the coagulation system
• Achieve a basic understanding of the second line laboratory tests that can be used to diagnose inherited and acquired disorders of the coagulation system e.g. coagulation factor assays, lupus anticoagulant.

Normal Coagulation

• Outline the overall process of coagulation, what it requires, and if imbalanced, what it can lead to…
• What is primary haemostasis (platelet plug)?
• What is secondary haemostasis (coagulation cascade)?
• How is the coagulation cascade regulated?
• Outline the process of fibrinolysis

Testing Coagulation

• What tests do we use to test for primary haemostasis?
• What is the haematologist’s test to assess for platelet function?
• What tests do we use to test for secondary haemostasis?
• Outline the sample requirements (pre-analysis) of blood samples
• Outline the generic principles concerning samples of all coagulation tests
• What are the features of the prothrombin time test? (PT)