Drop Method

Materials and Method:

Few drops of blood were obtained and placed in the glass slide. A needle was continuously drawn onto
the drops for every 30 second interval until shreds of fibrin cling to the needle. The time elapsed from
placing the blood onto the slide and the formation of fibrin shreds was recorded.

Result and Discussion:

Clotting time of the subject was 2 minutes and 30 seconds. Similar to the above experiment, clotting
time can be measured by simply dropping the blood onto the slide.

Coagulation time is a test used to measure the ability of clotting factors to coagulate blood. The
normal value for clotting time is about 2-5 minutes. The drop method is used to evaluate intrinsic
pathway of coagulation which involves your factors: VIII, IX, X, XI, and XII, also, proteins such as
prekallikrein (PK) and high-molecular-weight kininogen (HK or HMWK), as well as calcium ions and
phospholipids secreted from platelets are required for the process to occur. Each of these pathway
constituents leads to the conversion of factor X (inactive) to factor Xa. Initiation of the intrinsic pathway
occurs when prekallikrein, high-molecular-weight kininogen, factor XI and factor XII are exposed to a
negatively charged surface. This is termed the contact phase and can occur as a result of interaction
with the phospholipids (primarily phosphatidylethanolamine, PE) of circulating lipoprotein particles such
as chylomicrons, VLDLs, and oxidized LDLs. Then, activation of the factor X will enter the common
pathway for coagulation.

In the experiment, the subject had a normal clotting time based on the capillary method which means
that the factors involved in the intrinsic pathway are functional.
Questions:

1. Which of the two methods of determining clotting time is more accurate and why?

The more accurate method to use for the determination of clotting time is the capillary
method where the specimen is allowed to clot inside an isolated environment (i.e., inside the
tube). The process avoids contamination of the specimen and other external factors (presence
of air) which may affect the result.

2. What is the normal range of clotting time?

2-5 minutes
3. Give the significance of clotting time.

Clotting time is an important indicator for abnormalities/absence of the clotting factors which is
indicated by prolonged clotting time. Also, evaluation of the effectiveness of anti-coagulant therapy
may also be reflected by this test.

References:

Chronolab, Switzerland, (Feb, 2011).The Clinical Chemistry-Point of Care.Clotting Time. Retrieved from
http://www.chronolab.com/point-of-care/index.php?
option=com_content&view=article&id=59&Itemid=76

King, M.W., (Feb,2011).The Medical Biochemistry. Blood Coagulation .Retrieved from

http://themedicalbiochemistrypage.org/blood-coagulation.html