Word parts
What it means
A chain of reactions among clotting factors, proteins made mostly in the liver, that ends with fibrin threads binding platelets into a firm clot. Vitamin K is needed to make several of these factors. Tests of coagulation include the PT/INR and the aPTT. Problems can mean too much bleeding (as in hemophilia, liver disease or with anticoagulants) or too much clotting. In surgery, electrosurgery coagulates tissue to seal small vessels.
For the nurse
Check coagulation results before procedures and while clients take anticoagulants. Watch for unusual bruising, bleeding gums, blood in urine or stool, and oozing from sites.
At a glance
| Abbreviations | PT, INR, aPTT |
|---|---|
| Spanish | coagulación |
| Also written | coagulate, coagulated, coagulates, coagulating |
Related terms
platelet
A tiny cell fragment in the blood that sticks together at a wound to help form a clot.
anticoagulant
A drug that slows the blood's ability to form clots.
heparin
An anticoagulant drug, given by injection or IV, that keeps blood clots from forming or growing.
warfarin
An oral anticoagulant drug that lowers the blood's ability to clot by blocking the use of vitamin K.
hemostasis
The stopping of bleeding, either by the body's own clotting process or by medical or surgical methods.