Blood clots while entering test tube

[sbncmo]

I've been here for my husband's APS (he also has polycythemia), but now I have a question for myself. On Oct 27th, I fainted & ended up in the ER. Blood tests were done, but after 15 - 30 minutes, the lab had to get all new blood because my blood had clotted in the tubes. On Oct 27th, I went back to the ER because of still having problems with fainting & I was an having extremely bad, non-stop headache. A lab tech went to draw blood, but it clotted in in the first tube almost immediately. When the needle was pulled out, I didn't bleed at all. She drew blood from another spot & I guess it was okay.

My question is, does anyone know what would cause blood to clot in the test tube & should I be concerned about this?

[Jade]

Hi I only wish I did know the answer. It certainly sounds unusual. It makes me think you are the APS patient. Have you had your blood test results back yet and do you know what they were specifically looking at?

[sbncmo in reply to Jade]

I don't know what they were looking for specifically, but they said all test results came back normal. But that doesn't reassure me any because when my husband's lungs were full of PE's, his Titer test came back reading very high for blood clots, yet the doctor said his tests were normal & sent him home with bronchitis!

[margaretjo]

This has happened to me for many years, it happened to me just last week when i was in hospital. Ive always presumed it was down to Apls but its an interesting question. I think I'll ask next time i see the consultant

[sbncmo in reply to margaretjo]

I asked the nurse about this, but of course, the nurse isn't allowed to say anything & the doctors said everything was normal. I don't trust them. Let me know what you find out the next time you see your consultant. My husband won't be seeing his hematologist for 3 months, I think, maybe 6 months. I'd like to find out before then.

[margaretjo]

I will certainly let you know if i can get any info

[sbncmo in reply to margaretjo]

I appreciate your help with this. Thanks, both you & Jade.

[margaretjo]

I have tried to look on the web but havent found anything helpful no matter how i phrase the questiin it just takes me to a page about general blood tests but i will keep digging

[sbncmo in reply to margaretjo]

Thanks, magaretjo. I usually do a lot of research myself, but I haven't felt up to spending much time on the computer since I hit my head so hard when I fainted. I really appreciate your help in researching this for me.

[mommabeans]

There are some test that HAVE to clot. And others that can't be allowed to clot. For the tests that can't be allowed to clot, we use tubes that contain anticoagulants and additives. If the person drawing your blood either wasn't very skilled or there was some other reason your blood didn't flow very quickly into the tube(there's a vacuum in the tubes that pulls it in. It doesn't just "flow in" on it's own), then the blood can clot before it even gets into the tube(most often if a butterfly needle was used). However, if the person drawing your blood didn't invert the anticoagulant tubes to mix the blood with the anticoagulant immediately after drawing it, it WILL clot and be unusable. "Clotting almost immediately" is NOT a problem, IF a test that is required to clot is being drawn. Due to the fact that you said, "First Tube", I'm going to assume the tech was drawing, what we call, an SST(Serum Separator Tube). Blue top tubes are first(those are coagulation studies and Must NOT clot), then SSTs(gold tops or red and black speckled tops), and so on and so forth. SSTs are SUPPOSED to clot. So if that's what she was drawing because no coagulation tests were ordered, there is no issue with it clotting, no matter how quickly it did. If we draw that SST tube and it DOESN'T clot within 30 mins, that's a problem. Not bleeding at all when she takes the needle out is also not indicative of a problem, in and of it's self. The fact that the tech drew blood from a second area tells me she was having difficulty with the first stick, and that is most commonly due to lack of skill and not something wrong with the patient or their blood. If you're that concerned, you should be telling your physician about it and asking for coagulation studies to be drawn and not on a message board asking people who have zero knowledge of the subject.

[HollyHeski Administrator in reply to mommabeans]

Not sure you meant to answer this post but its over 5 years old.

I see you have just joined, do you have APS/Hughes?

Welcome - tell us something about you....

[sbncmo in reply to HollyHeski]

Hi HollyHeski. I don't have APS, but my husband does. I post for him, but sometimes I have a question about myself, such as blood clotting when it isn't supposed to. Thanks for replying.

[HollyHeski Administrator in reply to sbncmo]

Hi - my question was to mommabeans, who just joined this conversation, sorry if you thought my question related to you xx

[sbncmo in reply to mommabeans]

Thanks mommabeans. That was helpful.