The Flowing Clotting Time (Thrombus Formation Time) a Sensitive Test of Hypercoagulability

Summary The addition of small amounts of extrinsic thromboplastin or of thrombin to blood in vitro accelerated coagulation more frequently and to a greater extent when determined by the flowing time test than when measured by the silicone clotting time, or by the blood or plasma heparin tolerance tests. Similar results were obtained when intrinsic thromboplastin formation was stimulated by contact with glass. However there was little or no acceleration of the flowing clotting time of plasma obtained from aliquots of the thromboplastin-containing blood. These results indicate that the flowing clotting time (thrombus formation time) of whole blcod is a more reliable test of hypercoagulability than previously described blood or plasma clotting time tests.