The Effect of Time and Temperature Variables on Some Routine Coagulation Tests among Subjects of African Descent in Sokoto, North Western Nigeria

Abstract

This study evaluated the effects of time and temperature variables on routine Prothrombin Time test and Activated Partial Thromboplastin Time (APTT) test among subjects of African descent in Sokoto, North Western Nigeria. Samples of 99 subjects made up of 49 male and 50 female subjects with mean age 38.3 ± 22.3 years. Coagulation tests were performed immediately specified times after phlebotomy up to 24 hours (0, 1, 2, 3, 4 and 24 hours at room temperature of 40 degrees C. Our data demonstrate that prothrombin time and APTT results are stable for up to 2 hours, remaining constant regardless of storage conditions. Post hoc tests using Bonferroni correction revealed that there were increase in PT time from 0 hour to 4 hours (17.82 ± 0.61 seconds vs 18.30 ± 0.59 seconds, respectively), from 0 hour to 24 hours (17.82 ± 0.61 seconds vs 18.48 ± 0.59 seconds, respectively), from 2 hours to 4 hours (17.89 ± 0.58 seconds vs 18.30 ± 0.59 seconds), from 2 hours to 24 hours (17.89 ± 0.58 seconds vs 18.48 ± 0.58 seconds), which were all statistically significant (p = 0.002 and p < 0.000, p < 0.000, p < 0.000, respectively). However, the increase in PT time from 0 hour to 2 hours (17.82 ± 0.61 seconds vs 17.89 ± 0.59 seconds, respectively) and from 4 hours to 24 hours (18.30 ± 0.59 vs 18.48 ± 0.59 seconds, respectively) were not statistically significant (p = 1, p = 0.428). A repeated measure ANOVA determined that mean PTTK time differed statistically significantly between time points F (3, 291) = 119.22, p < 0.001.