Does aspirin work?
Acetylsalicylic acid blocks one of the platelet activation pathways, and it is this pathway that the collagen and epinephrine test evaluates. In approximately some patients, the drug does not give the expected effect - this phenomenon is called aspirin resistance, and without laboratory testing it is impossible to recognize it: a person regularly takes pills, considering himself protected, but the risk of thrombosis remains. The test shows how suppressed aggregation is during therapy, and if the effect is insufficient, the doctor changes the drug or dose. The test is also used in cases of unexplained bleeding to detect congenital disorders of platelet function. The blood is examined within several hours after collection - platelets quickly lose functional activity.
How to prepare to donate blood
- on an empty stomach 8–12 hours, you can drink water
- Eliminate alcohol and intense exercise per day
- no smoking in an hour
- donate blood before physiotherapy, x-rays and massage
- Take medications in advance by agreeing with your doctor
How to read the result
Reference values depend on the method and equipment of the laboratory, so it is correct to compare results only within the same laboratory. A deviation of a few percent from the normal limit in itself rarely matters - the overall picture and dynamics are important.
The analysis must be interpreted by a doctor: an isolated indicator without a clinical context is often misleading and leads to unnecessary examinations.