A patient has a prolonged APTT with a normal PT. There were no errors in specimen collection. What does this mean for the patient?
A) There could be a defect in the intrinsic pathway.
B) The patient is on Coumadin.
C) The patient has developed an inhibitor to a factor in the extrinsic pathway.
D) The patient has a vitamin K deficiency.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

A prolonged APTT with a normal PT indicates a deficiency or defect in the intrinsic pathway. This could be due to a congenital factor deficiency, acquired inhibitor or other factors that affect the pathway. The other options, such as being on Coumadin, having an inhibitor to a factor in the extrinsic pathway, or having a vitamin K deficiency, would not solely affect the APTT without also affecting the PT.

A Patient Has a Prolonged APTT with a Normal PT