Clotting Time (CT) Test Price in Cuttack

Test Description

Clotting Time (CT), also known as Whole Blood Clotting Time (WBCT) or Lee-White Clotting Time, is a simple bedside test that measures the time required for whole blood to form a visible clot in a glass test tube, assessing the integrity of the intrinsic coagulation pathway (factors XII, XI, IX, VIII) and the common pathway (factors X, V, II/thrombin, and fibrinogen). The Lee-White method involves collecting venous blood into three glass tubes (37°C water bath) and tilting every 30 seconds until a clot is observed; the average of the three tubes is reported. Normal range: 5–15 minutes. Prolonged CT is seen in: severe deficiencies of intrinsic pathway factors (haemophilia A — Factor VIII deficiency; haemophilia B — Factor IX deficiency; haemophilia C — Factor XI deficiency), common pathway factor deficiencies (Factor X, V, II), severe hypofibrinogenaemia or dysfibrinogenaemia, disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), heparin anticoagulation (CT >30 minutes during therapeutic heparin), and massive transfusion with dilutional coagulopathy. CT is unaffected by platelet count and platelet function, distinguishing its prolongation pattern from that of bleeding time. While CT is widely used in resource-limited settings for pre-operative coagulation screening and heparin monitoring intraoperatively (Activated Clotting Time, ACT, is the modern equivalent), it has poor sensitivity for mild-to-moderate factor deficiencies and has been superseded in referral laboratories by the APTT and PT/INR for coagulation assessment.