The Coagulation System in Humans -- Platelet Physiology -- The Role of the Blood Vessel Wall -- Specimen Requirements for the Haemostasis Laboratory -- Principles of Haemostasis Tests -- Reference Ranges of Coagulation Tests -- Lupus Anticoagulant Testing -- Activated Partial Thromboplastin Time (APTT) -- Prothrombin Time (PT) and International Normalised Ratio (INR) -- Thrombin Clotting Time (TCT) -- Thrombin Generation -- Activated Clotting Time (ACT) -- Factor XII Assays -- Fibrinogen -- Platelet Counting -- Platelet Morphology Analysis -- Light Transmission Aggregometry -- Platelet Flow Cytometry -- Anti-factor Xa assay (anti-Xa) -- Reptilase Time (RT) -- Protamine Titration -- Laboratory Methods for the Assay if Tissue Factor Pathway Inhibitor (TFPI) in Human Plasma -- Heparin Induced Thrombocytopenia (HIT) -- Nijmegen-Bethesda Assay to Measure Factor VIII Inhibitors -- Kaolin Clotting Time -- The Dilute Russell Viper Venom Time (DRVVT) -- Platelet Neutralisation Test -- Antithrombin -- Protein C -- Protein S -- Testing for Hyperhomocysteinemia in Subjects with a History of  Thromboembolic Events Using HPLC Technique -- Anticardiolipin Antibody and Anti-Beta 2 Glycoprotetin I Assays -- Testing for Apolipoprotein (a) Phenotype Using Isoelectric Focusing and  Immunoblotting Technique -- D-Dimer and Fibrinogen/Fibrin Degradation Products.

The haemostatic system is one the most important physiological systems for maintaining health and well being, and thus the investigation of the haemostatic system remains a research priority. Disturbances of the haemostatic system in the broader sense, such as heart disease and strokes, arguably constitute the single greatest contribution to non-infectious mortality in the world today. Therefore, understanding the laboratory methods to assess the haemostatic system is vital for the practice of complex clinical medicine. In Haemostasis: Methods and Protocols, experts in the field address the major components of the haemostatic system, general principles of haemostatic testing, and techniques used to assess various aspects of the haemostatic system, grouped according to their functional indications. Written in the successful Methods in Molecular Biology™ series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible protocols, and notes on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls.   Authoritative and easily accessible, Haemostasis: Methods and Protocols provides an ideal guide to scientists of all backgrounds and serves an urgent need for further research to develop superior methods of assessing the haemostatic system in humans.