Blood test results - Worried

She had full blood count as well, the first test they did check for anemia they said everything else was ok (from what I remember) I can't of went into panic mode. On her 2nd test it said the same thing, full blood count ,PT test and she said there was another test to do that can check for anemia but didn't day what. They said my daughter was at the higher end of the PT test which is why it was repeated again. She has no other symptoms, no bruising etc in fact she hardly ever ever bruises and she also never has problems with cuts etc and heals normally. She is never really ill and is probably the one in the family that seems to have a strong immune system. I have no idea what they want to talk to me about this time but my mind is thinking the worst ??

I'm getting really anxious about this appointment tomorrow and what they will say. If they do refer her to a haematologist that means it's bad news doesn't it? Or that they suspect something sinister?

Prothrombin time higher than 15 seconds should indicate a problem that needs to be evaluated.I dont see why they want to repeat it.Even if they say that the PT is too high it is not a symptom of cancer as you mentioned.It could be a Vit. K deficiency or some minor liver disease.There could be also a bleeding disorder caused by low levels of a clotting factor.

The doctor will reffer you to haematologist because he treats blood and coagulation problems(but i dont see a problem in your daughters case).Is she taking any medicine now?

No she isn't on any medication at the moment. Thankyou for your words of reassurance it really helps x

Tell us what the haematologist said after the appointment tomorrow

says*

She doesn't have an appointment with the hametologist she has an appointment with the doctor Tomo to discuss her blood results. This was a repeated test. She had the first initial test done three months ago. They asked me then to book a non urgent appointment to discuss the results from that test (that was three months ago) at the end of that doctor's appt they said they wanted us to repeat the test again three months later (which was last week) I rang for those results again and again they asked me (Friday) to book a non urgent appointment within two weeks to discuss the results of THIS test.

Which is what the appointment tomorrow is about. I'm just worried they will refer her onto a haematologist. Which I assumed wasn't a good thing.

Okay now i understand.But still let us know what the doc said.And even if he reffers her to haematologist dont worry it is nothing sinister

But what could it be? What are they looking for? If her PT test is slightly higher?

Well they are looking for the causes of the prolonged PT time.I will go around and explain the most often causes of the prolonged PT.

Vitamin K deficiency (due to diet that is extremely lacking in vitamin K or malabsorption). The symptoms of this are:

-easily bruising

- small blood clots underneath their nails

-bleeding in mucous membranes that line areas inside the body

-producing stool that looks dark black (almost like tar) and containing some blood

Food that contains vit. K includes leafy green vegetables,beef and goose liver.

Factor II deficieny or some other factor(blood clotting disorder).Symptoms are:

-prolonged nose bleeds

-bleeding from the gums

-heavy or prolonged menstrual periods

-unexplained bruising

Disseminated intravascular coagulation(DIC syndrome) and liver disease can be excluded if your daughter is under 20.They also produce other major symptoms.She can also just be prone to bleeding without a major disease.If her platelet count from the full blood count is normal then you should not worry.Usually doctors want to find out if there is a problem with blood coagulation,because if your daughter needs surgery and has a blood clotting disorder the operating team will do a different procedure or use some drugs.But again PT result of 13 or 13.5 is just normal.Severe diseases start at 15 or more seconds.

Thanks well the only initial reason we went to the doctor's in the first place was because she kept getting nose bleeds (which she now hasn't had since may) my daughter seemed to think her periods were heavy too but after talking to her it doesn't really sound any heavier or longer than mine, albeit they are a bit sporadic (but I just put that down to her changing etc) that's the only symptoms she had/has. But for some reason they wanted to repeat the PT test again.

So what did the doctor say?

 

Hi George

Right well we got to the doctor's and she was really thorough. She said everything else in her blood test eg plstelets,WBC, iron levels etc were fine the only thing that was slightly concerning was the slightly high PT blood test again (it was exactly the same result 13.5) she had a long discussion with me about what I wanted to do next, asked loads of questions about her periods etc then said she had been refferred to haematology. I asked if it was serious she said no. I asked if it was an urgent appointment she said no. But she has been refferred for the haematologist to look at her blood results. And possibly do another blood test. I did actually ask the doctor if her vitamin k levels had been checked and she said they hadn't. She talked about that my daughter may have a clotting factors missing (which I thought of anyway) but I still couldn't get it out my head that it's something badly wrong otherwise why would they refer her. I started off feeling positive about it because the doctor didn't seem concerned then at the end she told me about my daughter being refferred so I'm now back to feeling worried it's something sinister ??

Forgot to say when I asked if it was something serious she said no "only if she had been having major nose bleeds ending up in hospital etc" or when she cut herself had been bleeding profusely (who h she never has)

okay probably the lab uses a PT test that counts 13.5 as slightly high but thats ok.I think it is either factor deficieny or vit k deficieny.About the thing that your doc said that you are concerned about "only if she had been having major nose bleeds ending up in hospital etc".There are many clotting factors and disorders connected to specific factors.The most common one is factor II deficiency,which is nothing too serious,because the bleeding is not very prolonged.Disorders of other factors can be dangerous and cause a very prolonged bleeding that of course is not good,because then getting a knife cut could result into a pool of blood.Your daughter does not have such disorder because her nose bleeds are not big.Also the dangerous factor deficiencies tend to show symptoms in the blood work and other general symptoms(the bleeding there will be huge).Again the only sinister cause of prolonged PT at your daughters age can be a rare factor deficiency(not factor II deficiency,as it is not very dangerous),but that causes obvious symptoms.The haematologist will probably do other tests like INR.

Best of luck

 

Ok, thankyou, just a waiting game now ☹️

Any news?