Thrombin-Antithrombin Complex

13 days

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0.0–4.2 ng/dL

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This test is used to assess thrombin formation and antithrombin consumption.

Plasma, frozen

2 mL

Blue-top (sodium citrate) tube

Do not draw from an arm with a heparin lock or heparinized catheter.

Blood should be collected in a blue-top tube containing 3.2% buffered sodium citrate.33 Evacuated collection tubes must be filled to completion to ensure a proper blood-to-anticoagulant ratio.34,35 The sample should be mixed immediately by gentle inversion at least six times to ensure adequate mixing of the anticoagulant with the blood. A discard tube is not required prior to collection of coagulation samples unless the sample is collected using a winged (butterfly) collection system. With a winged blood collection set, a discard tube should be drawn first to account for the dead space of the tubing and prevent under-filling of the evacuated tube.36,37 When noncitrate tubes are collected for other tests, collect sterile and nonadditive (red-top) tubes prior to citrate (blue-top) tubes. Any tube containing an alternative anticoagulant should be collected after the blue-top tube. Gel-barrier tubes and serum tubes with clot initiators should also be collected after the citrate tubes.