Thrombin generation as marker to estimate thrombosis risk in patients with abnormal test results in lupus anticoagulant routine diagnostics.

Background: Lupus anticoagulant (LA) is known to inhibit thrombin generation although patients have an increased risk to develop thrombosis. We tried to determine whether thrombin generation is altered in plasma samples of patients with abnormal test results in LA routine diagnostics and whether its measurement may improve the risk assessment of thrombosis.

Methods: Samples from 63 patients (39 with abnormal test results; 24 controls) were included in the study.

Evaluation of a straightforward and rapid method for the therapeutic drug monitoring of digitoxin by LC-MS/MS.

Objectives: Therapeutic drug monitoring of digitoxin is strongly recommended but metabolites of digitoxin and digitoxin-like immunoreactive substances may interfere with widely used immunoassays. Recently evaluated assays on LC-MS/MS have the drawback of long turnaround time. We sought to evaluate a specific method on LC-MS/MS optimizing sample preparation thereby significantly reducing turnaround time.

Immature platelet fraction as marker for platelet recovery after stem cell transplantation in children.

Objectives: Thrombocytopenia occurs in pediatric patients after SCT and has to be treated with platelet transfusions which bear certain risks and represent a significant cost factor. Monitoring immature platelet (IPF) fraction has been proposed to predict platelet recovery thereby reducing the need for transfusions.

Design And Methods: Hematological parameters including IPF were systematically studied in 17 pediatric patients after either peripheral blood or bone marrow stem cell transplantation.

Immediate diagnosis of ventriculits: evaluation of parameters independent of microbiological culture.

Background: Generally accepted reference values in CSF diagnostics are not valid in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) containing large amounts of blood. Residual blood may obscure ventriculitis as diagnostics largely depend on parameters such as cell count, lactic acid and total protein measurement. We sought to improve the diagnostics by evaluating a cytokine panel and soluble CD62L as markers of ventriculitis.

Comparison of six D-dimer assays for the detection of clinically suspected deep venous thrombosis of the lower extremities.

Deep venous thrombosis is a common disease that may lead to life-threatening embolism of the lung as a common complication. Therefore, early diagnosis followed by sufficient treatment is necessary to decrease mortality of this disease. D-dimer testing is established as a standard to rule out deep venous thrombosis in selected patient groups.

Correction of ventricular cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples for blood content does not increase sensitivity and specificity for the detection of CSF infection.

Background: Blood contamination is commonly observed in ventricular cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples from patients with extraventricular drainage systems. Because the introduction of blood may interfere with the white blood cell count as a useful marker for the diagnosis of an infection, correction for blood content would be desirable.

Methods: In a retrospective study, we analysed the use of correction formulas in 724 blood-contaminated ventricular CSF samples.