ON THE VALUE OF THE ACTIVATED CLOTTING TIME FOR MONITORING HEPARIN-THERAPY IN ACUTE CORONARY SYNDROMES

Heparin therapy may be monitored at the bedside with new portable machines measuring the activated clotting time (ACT) of the whole blood and the activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT). Although the ACT is usually believed to be a convenient substitute for the aPTT, the value of its measurement in patients with acute coronary syndromes has never been evaluated. This study prospectively compares the ACT and the aPTT for monitoring heparin therapy in the coronary care unit. © 1993.