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activated clotting time (ACT)
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a way to measure the time it takes to form a clot; available as a point-of-care test
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anti-factor Xa level (anti-Xa)
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measurement of the concentration of drugs that inhibit factor Xa in the clotting cascade
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anticoagulants
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drugs that work in different parts of the coagulation cascade to decrease the propensity of the blood to form a clot
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clotting factors
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proteins that work to activate different parts of the coagulation cascade
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coagulation cascade
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series of events that leads to blood clotting
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complete blood count
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laboratory blood test that measures the amount of red blood cells, white blood cells, hemoglobin, hematocrit, and platelets
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deep vein thrombosis (DVT)
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blood clot that forms in a vein
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erythrocytes
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red blood cells
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fibrinolysis
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breakdown of fibrin
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hematocrit
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percentage or proportion of red blood cells in the blood
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hemoglobin
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substance that binds oxygen and facilitates oxygen transport in the blood
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hemostasis
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the ability to cease bleeding
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heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT)
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major complication of heparin therapy characterized by a decrease in platelets and concomitant hypercoagulable state
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hypercoagulable
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excessive propensity to form a clot
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international normalized ratio
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provides another measurement of the length of time the blood takes to clot, calculated using the prothrombin time (PT)
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ischemic stroke
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when a clot obstructs blood flow to the brain
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partial thromboplastin time (PTT)
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laboratory test obtained via venous blood sample that provides a measurement of the length of time the blood takes to clot
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platelets
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component of the blood that bind together and to endothelial tissue to form a clot
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prothrombin time (PT)
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a measurement of the time it takes to form a clot; used to calculate the international normalized ratio (INR)
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pulmonary embolism (PE)
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a clot that has typically formed in a vein but has broken off and lodged in the vasculature of the lungs
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thrombolytics
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drugs that dissolve existing clots
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thrombosis
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the formation of a clot that obstructs blood flow