Thrombin time principle, procedure, indications

Thrombin is an important enzyme in the coagulation pathway. The thrombin time principle is simply that, this enzyme changes the fibrinogen into fibrin in the coagulation pathway.

Time spend during clot formation after the addition of Thrombin is called Thrombin time.

Thrombin time test Requirement:

1. Test and control plasma
2. Thrombin
3. Pipettes
4. Test tube
5. Stopwatch
6. Table lamp
7. water bath

procedure for the thrombin time

1. Pre-warm the test tube in the water bath at 37 centigrade temperature.
2. Add 200 microliter plasma in one glass test tube.
3. Add 100 micro litter Thrombin, and start the stopwatch.
4. Look for clot formation and note the time.
5. REPEAT all steps and note the time. Take the average of two times.
   • Note: Check the quality of the clot.

What is the Reference Range of Thrombin Time?

The thrombin time range is between 9 to 11 seconds.

What are the 5 main causes of elevation Thrombin time (TT)?

1. Hypoalbuminemia
2. Fibrinogen deficiency
3. Heparin therapy
4. Multiple myeloma
5. Infancy

Thrombin time vs Bleeding time

In the thrombin time test, we add thrombin in plasma to form the clot. It is used to check the fibrinogen’s normal function and quantity.

A bleeding time test is used to check the platelet function and platelet quantity in the blood.