In the article, we will consider what is prothrombin according to Quick.
Prothrombin is a protein that takes part in the process of blood coagulation and is synthesized by the liver with the participation of vitamin K. By coagulation, we understand the change in the state of blood from liquid to thick.
For normal functioning, the blood in the body must be in a liquid consistency. Damage to blood vessels should be accompanied by thickening (coagulation) of blood.
Coagulation mechanism
Laboratory testing of blood samples for prothrombin allows an assessment of the quality of the coagulation mechanism. Like any samples for laboratory testing, blood for prothrombin should be taken on an empty stomach. If the patient is unable to fulfill the specified condition due to his health condition, he needs to take food no later than 5 hours before sampling. When taking drugs that affect blood coagulation, incorrect results can be obtained before analysis. In the case when the refusal to use drugs is impossible, it is important to warn about taking a doctor’s medicine.
Indications for analysis
A blood coagulation test is necessary if the patient has the following pathologies or suspicion of them:
- Prolonged use of drugs of the indirect type of anticoagulant group.
- Autoimmune diseases.
- Imbalance of Vitamin K.
- Varicose veins, atherosclerosis.
- Pathological changes in the liver.
- Antiphospholipid syndrome during pregnancy (manifested by placental insufficiency, pregnancy fading, miscarriages, other complications).
In addition, the prothrombin test can be prescribed for the screening of coagulability in other pathologies. In the laboratory, the natural mechanism that causes blood coagulation is recreated.
The study is conducted as follows: thromboplastin and potassium ions are introduced into the recalcified plasma. The prothrombin complex includes several coagulation factors, the surplus or deficit of which allows the analysis to be detected.
Quick indicator
Over the past few decades, Prothrombin Quick has been calculated under laboratory conditions. This method allows you to calculate the percentage expression. Scientists were offered a comparison of the prothrombin time indicator and the dependence of this time period on the prothrombin factors present in the blood sample.
The construction of this dependence allows a very accurate assessment of the coagulation index, but this technique does not take into account the coefficient of thromboplastin sensitivity.
This feature of the test affects the quality indicators of the result if it is in the region of critical values above or below the norm. If the results are standard and deviations are insignificant, the INR and Quick index are directly proportional.
The card of the result of the analysis carried out in any laboratory will reflect the prothrombin according to Quick. The norm is indicators in the range of 78-142%. Prothrombin is allowed to deviate from the average, but the indicator should remain within the normal range.
In healthy people, blood coagulation is often increased, that is, hypercoagulation is noted. A similar process is considered to be the norm if a person does not have chronic tissue damage and cardiovascular pathologies. Otherwise, there is a likelihood of blood clots.
If the patient is prescribed blood-thinning drugs, then screening should be done regularly. In some cases, the components of anticoagulant drugs create a depot in the body (accumulation of substances), which can contribute to the development of hypocoagulation, accompanied by increased bleeding.
In addition, in the test results for prothrombin according to Quick, the opposite process can be observed - hypercoagulation, when the coagulation activity increases. Excessive blood density is much more common than insufficient, but in both cases the patient needs control and, probably, treatment.
Why are there deviations from the Prothrombin norm according to Quick?
The indicator is higher than normal
In men from 45 years old, an increase of more than 142 percent is often observed. This situation can provoke:
- Imbalance of Vitamin K.
- The use of hormonal, anabolic, laxative, antiseptic agents.
- Amyloidosis, nephrotic syndrome.
- Congenital malformations of coagulation factors.
- Chronic pathology of the liver.
If the prothrombin for Quick is increased for a reason not included in the list, then there is a possibility of the presence of such diseases:
- Myocardial infarction.
- Preinfarction condition.
- Oncological pathologies.
- Polycythemia.
- Thromboembolism.
In women, prothrombin according to Quick is elevated due to prolonged use of oral contraceptives. If the patient has vascular diseases, oral contraception should be abolished.
Clotting may be slightly affected by diet. An increase in prothrombin can be caused by: oily fish, citrus fruits, black, red berries, sour-milk products.
Why does Quick prothrombin occur?
Reduced rate
Low prothrombin is accompanied by hypocoagulation, which occurs due to such reasons as:
- The use of blood-thinning medications.
- Fibrinogen deficiency (acquired, congenital).
- Pathology of the liver.
- Deficiency of certain coagulation factors (congenital).
- Vitamin K Deficiency
In the presence of hypocoagulation, the following diseases can be suspected in a patient:
- Hypovitaminosis.
- Prothrombin deficiency.
- Gastrointestinal pathology.
- Dysbacteriosis
How to correct deviations from the norm?
You can adjust the content of prothrombin by saturating the diet with foods rich in vitamin K: salad, spinach, pears, apples, bananas, carrots, cabbage.
Prothrombin according to Quick is reduced because of an unbalanced diet observed more often in men than in women, since men often prefer meat products to vegetables. Such food cravings often cause a deficiency of vitamins in the body.