Indirect Antihuman Globulin Test (IAT)
Q: A patient with a history of multiple transfusions develops a new antibody. Which phase of the Indirect Antiglobulin Test (IAT) is most critical for detecting this IgG antibody?
Did You Know?
The fundamental difference between serum and plasma lies in their preparation and composition. Plasma is the liquid portion of unclotted blood. To obtain it, blood is collected into a tube containing an anticoagulant (like EDTA, citrate, or heparin), which prevents clotting. Plasma therefore contains all the soluble components of blood, including clotting factors like fibrinogen. Serum, on the other hand, is the liquid portion of clotted blood. To obtain it, blood is collected without an anticoagulant, allowed to clot, and then the clot is removed by centrifugation. During clotting, the clotting factors (especially fibrinogen) are consumed to form the fibrin clot. Therefore, serum lacks fibrinogen and other consumed clotting factors but contains other proteins, electrolytes, hormones, etc. For most coagulation tests, plasma is required because we need to assess the clotting factors. For many chemistry tests, either serum or plasma can be used.
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