FIBRINOGEN- CLOTTING ACTIVITY
This testing is used to evaluate fibrinogen,a protein that is essential for blood clot formation. When there is an injury & bleeding occurs, the body forms a blood clot through a series of steps.In one of the last steps,soluble fibrinogen is converted into insoluble fibrin threads that crosslink together to form a net that stabilizes & adheres at the injury site until the area has healed.Two types of tests are available:A fibrinogen activity test measures the function
of fibrinogen & its ability to be converted into fibrin. It is used:As part of an investigation of a possible bleeding disorder or inappropriate blood clot formation (thrombotic episode)As a follow-up to an abnormal bleeding disorder test (prothrombin time, PT or partial thromboplastin time, PTT) &/or an episode of prolonged or unexplained bleedingAlong with tests such as PT, PTT, platelet function tests, fibrin degradation products (FDP), & D-dimer to help diagnose disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) or abnormal fibrinolysisOccasionally to help monitor the status of a progressive disease (such as liver disease) over time or, rarely, to monitor treatment of an acquired condition(such as DIC)Sometimes along with other cardiac risk markers such as C-reactive protein (CRP) to help determine a person's overall risk of developing cardiovascular disease. This use of the test has not gained widespread acceptance though because there are no direct treatments for elevated levels. However, many health practitioners feel that fibrinogen activity measurements give them additional information that may lead them to be more aggressive in treating those risk factors that they can treat (such as unhealthy levels of cholesterol).A fibrinogen antigen test is occasionally ordered as a follow-up test to determine whether decreased fibrinogen activity is due to insufficient fibrinogen or dysfunctional fibrinogen (caused by inherited or acquired dysfibrinogenemia).
