Equipment provides advanced blood testing at Wilford Hall

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Erin M. Peterson
  • 59th Medical Wing Public Affairs
LACKLAND AIR FORCE BASE, Texas (AFPN) --  Wilford Hall Medical Center officials here recently advanced its blood-testing abilities with the acquisition of state-of-the-art medical equipment.

The STA-R Evolution machine performs coagulation testing, in which blood-clotting factors are analyzed and compliance with therapeutic ranges for anti-coagulants are determined. 

The analysis also helps establish whether the patient is in need of an anti-coagulant to treat the development of blood clots. Coagulation specialty testing for the Air Force worldwide is performed here, including testing for hemophilia and other coagulation abnormalities.

The instrument is a fully automated, stand-alone workstation with the capability of performing several assessments simultaneously. The new equipment allow 59th Laboratory Squadron members to perform the testing in less time and has a larger software capacity to add an assortment of new tests. 

"Coagulation testing tends to be accomplished frequently with heart attack patients who are usually in an older demographic," said Linda Heatherley, a 59th Laboratory Squadron coagulation technical supervisor. "Because the Wilford Hall Medical Center treats such a large population of retirees, it is important that we have top-notch equipment." 

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