Argatroban

General Information

Test Availability:

Queen Elizabeth only

Samples received at other sites will be sent on to the Queen Elizabeth Laboratory.

External Requests:

Note: For external requests please click Here for Coagulation Disorders request form. Please complete all information fully.

Sample packing and transportation:

Frozen plasma should be sent on dry ice using an insulated container to ensure that it remains frozen during transport. Please refer to the preanalytical variables section of the BSH guidelines on the laboratory aspects of assays used in haemostasis and thrombosis¹.

As an alternative the bio-freeze container system can be used to ensure samples remain frozen in transit. These have been locally validated to maintain samples at -20^oC for up to 12 hours  providing they have been preconditioned in a -80^oC freezer for 24 hours prior to use.

IMPORTANT: If sending samples to more than one department separate transport containers must be used. DO NOT package samples for different departments in the same container. This may lead to a loss of sample integrity when samples have to be unpacked and distributed to multiple departments.  

Address:

Transport containers should be specifically labelled to ensure they are delivered to the correct location:

Special Coagulation, Haematology Laboratory, Clinical Laboratory Services, Level -1, Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham, Mindelsohn Way, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2GW.  

Disclaimer:

Please note failure to use an appropriate transit container may affect sample integrity, thus the accuracy of results cannot be guaranteed.  Furthermore, samples packaged incorrectly that arrive in a thawed state cannot be tested.

Please contact the laboratory on 0121 371 5988 (Queen Elizabeth Hospital) if you require any further information.

1) Baker, P., Platton, S., Gibson, C., Gray, E., Jennings, I., Murphy, P., Laffan, M. and British Society for Haematology, Haemostasis and Thrombosis Task Force (2020), Guidelines on the laboratory aspects of assays used in haemostasis and thrombosis. Br. J. Haematol., 191: 347-362.

https://doi.org/10.1111/bjh.16776

Samples that meet the following criteria will not be processed:

• Haemolysed, clotted, underfilled or overfilled samples.
• Samples >12 hours old from the time of collection.
• Samples received from other hospital laboratories that have been frozen and thawed.
• Samples which fail the minimum data set.

Assay Limitations:

No interferences up to:

Haemoglobin: 1000 mg/dl

Triglycerides: 875 mg/dl

Bilirubin (Free): 60 mg/dl         

Bilirubin (Conjugated): 60 mg/dl        

Apixaban: 100 ng/dl

In addition, the reagent does not contain heparin inhibitors, therefore interference by edoxaban, rivaroxaban and heparins on assay results could be shown.

Notes

Argatroban is a direct thrombin inhibitor (DTI) used as an anticoagulant in patients with confirmed or suspected Heparin Induced Thrombocytopenia (HIT). Click Here for more details.