What Is Clinical Pathology?

Front 1

prothrombin time (PT)

Back 1

coagulation screening test dependent primarily on Factors VII

Front 2

(activated) partial thromboplastin time (PTT)

Back 2

coagulation screen test dependent primarily on Factors X, VIII, and IX

Front 3

factor VIII

Back 3

one of procoagulant factors necessary for normal clot formation and conversion of fibrinogen and fibrin

Front 4

von willebrand's factor (vWF)

Back 4

large protein produced by endothelial that circulates in plasma as a multimer; serves as a carrier protein for Factor VIII

Front 5

acquired inhibitor

Back 5

substance (usually antibody) circulating in plasma that interferes with funciton of one or more procoagulant factors. acquired=not congenital, coming at some time later

Front 6

fibrinogen (Factor I)

Back 6

plasma protein that is acted upon by thrombin to make fibrin through cleavage of some portions

Front 7

fibrin

Back 7

polypeptide derived from fibrinogen that links together to form fibrillar basis of clots

Front 8

reference interval

Back 8

normal range or range not predictive of disease

Front 9

normal range

Back 9

range of values in an analysis that are considered normal. usually encompasses 95% of normal adult values. if distribution of values in population is Gaussian, range is usually set as mean+/- 2 SD

Front 10

specificity

Back 10

"negativity in health" = likelihood of negative (normal) test result when patient not sick

Front 11

sensitivity

Back 11

"positivity in disease" = likelihood of a positive (abnormal) test result if patient is sick

Front 12

false positive

Back 12

positive (abnormal) test result when patient is not sick

Front 13

false negative

Back 13

negative(normal) test result when patient is truly sick

Front 14

true positive

Back 14

positive (abnormal) test result when patient is truly sick

Front 15

true negative

Back 15

normal (negative) test result when patient is truly not sick

Front 16

CK, creatine (phospho)kinase

Back 16

enzyme found in muscle cells

Front 17

CK-MB

Back 17

isoform of CK found predominantly in mycardiocytes

Front 18

LD or LDH, lactate dehydrogenase

Back 18

enzyme found in many tissues, including myocardiocytes

Front 19

Pro-BNP

Back 19

form of B-type natriuretic peptide found in myocardiocytes and released on their stress; cleaved to BNP

Front 20

Receiver Operating Characteristics Curve (ROC Curve)

Back 20

curve describing ability of test to correctly distinguish health from disease

Front 21

Positive predictive value

Back 21

probability (in a given population