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Clinical Pathology Laboratory - Available Test
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Schalm's Fibrinogen Concentration
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The only coagulation testing performed by Clinical Pathology is
Schalm's Fibrinogen. This test is performed on EDTA samples only and
is used for determination of fibrinogen concentration as an indicator
of inflammation in large animals. Fibrinogen is an acute phase reactant
protein and elevated values are seen in inflammation and renal disease
(in the cow especially). This is a crude estimate of fibrinogen determination
and is not sensitive enough to detect decreased fibrinogen concentrations
in coagulation abnormalities. The method is as follows:
Two microhematocrit tubes are filled with EDTA-anticoagulated blood.
One is centrifuged and the total protein in the plasma is measured
by refractometer. The second tube is heated at 56°C for 3 minutes,
which precipitates the fibrinogen. The second tube is then centrifuged
and the protein result read similarly. The protein result in the heated
tube is subtracted from the result in the unheated tube; the difference
is equivalent to the fibrinogen that was removed from the plasma in
the second tube by heating and centrifuging. Abnormal values are flagged
(in horses, cattle and goats, i.e. those species with reference intervals)
with an exclamation mark after the result. |
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