4 Hemophilia Screening Tests

In order to determine if a person has hemophilia, they will have to undergo various tests to see if their blood is clotting as it should be.

There are four different types of blood screening tests that are used to diagnose hemophilia:

Complete Blood Count
A complete blood count (CBC) measures various factors within the blood: the hemoglobin levels, the number and size of red blood cells, number of white blood cells, and the number of platelets. These results are usually normal in hemophilia patients but after a heavy bleed, the hemoglobin and red blood cells will be lower than normal.

Activated Partial Thromboplastin Time Test
The activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) test measures the clotting efficiency of factors VIII, IX, XI, and XII. It looks for any delays in the blood clot formation, which indicates that the person has low levels of clotting factor.

MORE: Six self-care tips for people living with hemophilia.

Prothrombin Time Test
The prothrombin time (PT) test also looks at how long it takes a person’s blood to clot, measuring the clotting efficiency of factors I, II, V, VII, and X. Low levels of these factors will lead to a slow clotting time. This test should come back as normal for people with either hemophilia A or B as the disease is caused by defects in factors VIII and IX.

Fibrinogen Test
The fibrinogen test looks at a person’s ability to form blood clots and is also referred to as a clotting factor I test. It is generally used if a patient has abnormal APTT or PT results.

MORE: Why hemophilia is called a royal disease.

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