Assessment of Thrombin Generation

Thrombin plays a central role in haemostasis through both procoagulant and anticoagulant functions. Although measurement of thrombin generation in the laboratory has been possible for many years, recent advances in understanding a wider scope of physiological roles of thrombin as well as improvements in technology have resulted in methods that are less technically demanding and more reproducible. Consequently, thrombin-generation assays continue to be evaluated as a potentially useful laboratory method for determining haemostatic abnormalities, including both bleeding and thrombotic conditions, and for monitoring anticoagulant therapy. Despite these advances limitations still remain, including lack of standardisation between methods and the reporting of few large, well-designed studies, although this is likely to change in the next few years.