Why is this procedure done?
Your doctor may order this test to see how long it takes your blood to form a clot. During certain procedures, your doctor will need to give you a blood thinner. These procedures may include open heart surgery, hemodialysis, or cardiac catheterization. You may also need this blood thinner if you are on a heart lung bypass machine. The blood thinner may help keep you from having blood clots. It is important that you have just the right amount of the blood thinner. Too much may cause you to have bleeding and too little may allow you to have blood clots. An activated clotting time or ACT is used to help keep the blood thinner in balance. ‚
The doctor may order an ACT to: ‚
- Check for a steady level of blood thinner
- See how long it takes for your blood to clot before, during, and after surgery
- Go along with other tests like a partial thromboplastin time (PTT) to monitor bleeding
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What will the results be?
- The doctor will look at the results of your test. This will help the doctor decide if you need more or less blood thinner.
- If the results are high, this means your blood is taking a long time to clot.
- If the results are low, this means your blood is taking a short time to clot.
- Your doctor may order another test. This will help check a result that is not as expected or to learn more.
- The doctor will talk with you about treatment.
What happens before the procedure?
There are no special things to do before the test. It is most often done while you are in surgery or in the hospital. ‚
What happens during the procedure?
It will only take a few minutes to have this test. It may be done at your bedside. You will have a small amount of blood taken from you with a needle. The blood may also be taken from a special I.V. line. The blood is tested to see how quickly it clots. ‚
What happens after the procedure?
Most often, the results are available in a few minutes. Your blood thinners may be changed based on the test results. ‚
What problems could happen?
- Pain
- Bruising
- Bleeding
- Feeling dizzy
- Infection
Where can I learn more?
American Association for Clinical Chemistry ‚
http://labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/act/tab/test ‚
Consumer Information Use and Disclaimer
This information is not specific medical advice and does not replace information you receive from your health care provider. This is only a brief summary of general information. It does NOT include all information about conditions, illnesses, injuries, tests, procedures, treatments, therapies, discharge instructions or life-style choices that may apply to you. You must talk with your health care provider for complete information about your health and treatment options. This information should not be used to decide whether or not to accept your health care providers advice, instructions or recommendations. Only your health care provider has the knowledge and training to provide advice that is right for you. ‚
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Copyright ‚ © 2015 Clinical Drug Information, LLC and Lexi-Comp, Inc. ‚