The activated coagulation time of whole blood as a routine pre-operative sceening test

Patients with disorders of hemostasis who undergo surgical procedures are in danger of hemorrhage. While the careful medical history remains the most sensitive test of a bleeding tendency, some such patients can give no suggestive history. In three patients with coagulopathy-one with mild classical hemophilia, one with Christmas disease, and one with warfarin toxicity-the abnormality was missed by routine preoperative history but promptly detected by the routine preoperative use of the activated coagulation time (act). Either this test or the activated partial thromboplastin time should be included in the routine preoperative work-up, along with appropriate additional tests of the hemostatic mechanism.