Thrombin Generation

Generation of thrombin has been established as the critical process leading to coagulation in vivo. Indeed, ex vivo markers of thrombin generation in patients have been useful in detecting thrombosis, while many standard global clot-time tests of haemostasis in blood or plasma samples are simple endpoint measures of the potential to generate thrombin. Thus, there has been a recent surge towards direct measurement of thrombin generation potential in plasma/blood samples as a refined methodology for more precisely assessing procoagulant/anticoagulant/hemorrhagic parameters of the haemostatic status. Presently, however, there is no consensus method for thrombin generation determination. The present treatise gives detailed procedures for available thrombin generation tests, with emphasis on the preferred technology.