The Anti-Xa Assays: Therapeutic Monitoring of Heparin

Explore Alternatives to Traditional Monitoring

Heparin is used as an anticoagulant to prevent and treat blood clots in at-risk patients. As a medication, it exists in two forms—unfractionated heparin (UFH) and low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH). Both forms considerably accelerate the inactivation of coagulation factor Xa by antithrombin, which is why heparin assays are often referred to as anti-Xa assays. The anticoagulant activity of UFH is somewhat unpredictable, whereas LMWH activity is more consistent.

The aPTT assay has traditionally been used to monitor UFH. However, the assay is fraught with inconsistencies. Alternative methods may be needed to monitor the variable and unpredictable nature of UFH to help guide dosing adjustments.

In this presentation, you’ll learn more about heparin monitoring and explore the use of aPTT and other anti-Xa assays in your clinical lab.

Learning Objectives

This webinar will help you:

• Describe the anticoagulant effects of antithrombin
• Explain the methods used to determine heparin levels
• Discuss the limitations of anti-Xa assays
• Formulate an approach for using anti-Xa assays to monitor anticoagulants

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Fisher Healthcare is approved as a provider of continuing education programs in the clinical laboratory sciences by the ASCLS P.A.C.E.™ Program. One P.A.C.E.™ credit-hour will be provided for this complimentary basic level program.

John V. Mitsios, PhD, Medical Sciences Partner at Siemens Healthineers

Dr. John Mitsios earned his PhD in chemistry from the University of Ioannina in Greece and completed a post-doctoral fellowship at the University of California, San Diego. Mitsios then transitioned to the world of clinical chemistry and completed a fellowship at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. His primary research interest is coagulation, with an emphasis on platelet biology and function. At Siemens-Healthineers, Mitsios works with the Scientific and Clinical Affairs team as a clinical consultant. He has co-authored 22 peer-reviewed articles and three book chapters.