Clinical hemostasis practice: the major impact of laboratory automation

This article has reviewed basic disease states of hemostasis and thrombosis with an emphasis on laboratory technologic advances comparing manual and semiautomated techniques with new fully automated technology that is now available for both aiding in a diagnosis and monitoring efficacy of therapy. As these new automated methods become generally available, more and more information will be accumulated to determine exactly how precise many of these modalities will be for diagnosis and monitoring. Many of these newer modalities have already gained general acceptance as highly sophisticated tools that certainly belong in any clinical laboratory having to deal with patients with thrombohemorrhagic disorders.