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Partial Thromboplastin Time (PTT) Test

What is a ptt (partial thromboplastin time) test.

A partial thromboplastin time (PTT) test uses a blood sample to measure how long it takes for your blood to make a clot . Normally, when you get a cut or injury that causes bleeding, many different types of proteins in your blood work together to make a clot to stop the bleeding. These proteins are called coagulation factors or clotting factors.

If any of your clotting factors are missing, at a low level, or not working properly, your blood may:

• Clot too slowly after an injury or surgery. If this happens, you have a bleeding disorder . Bleeding disorders can cause serious blood loss. Hemophilia is one type of bleeding disorder.
• Clot too much and/or too quickly, even without an injury. This condition may lead to clots that block your blood flow and cause serious conditions, such as heart attack , stroke , or clots in the lungs .

A PTT test helps check a specific group of clotting factors. It helps show how much of these clotting factors you have and how well they're working. A PTT test is often done with other tests that check clotting factors and how well they all work together.

Other names: activated partial thromboplastin time, aPTT, intrinsic pathway coagulation factor profile

What is it used for?

A PTT test is used to check for problems with a specific group of blood clotting factors. The test is done to:

• Find the cause of too much bruising or bleeding.
• Find the cause of clotting problems. Causes can include certain autoimmune diseases such as lupus and antiphospholipid syndrome (APS).
• Monitor people taking heparin , a type of medicine that's used to prevent and treat blood clots. PTT testing can help make sure the dose is safe and effective.
• Check the risk for possible bleeding problems before surgery or medical procedures. (A PTT test is not always used as a routine test before surgery. It may be used for certain people who may have a risk for bleeding problems).

Why do I need a PTT test?

You may need a PTT test if you:

• Have problems with bleeding or bruising and the cause is not known
• Have a blood clot in a vein or artery
• Have liver disease (your liver makes most of your clotting factors).
• Have had several miscarriages
• Have been diagnosed with a bleeding or clotting disorder and don't know which clotting factors are involved
• Are taking heparin (to check how this medicine is affecting you, your health care provider may use a PTT test or another test instead).

What happens during a PTT test?

A health care professional will take a blood sample from a vein in your arm, using a small needle. After the needle is inserted, a small amount of blood will be collected into a test tube or vial. You may feel a little sting when the needle goes in or out. This usually takes less than five minutes.

Will I need to do anything to prepare for the test?

You don't need any special preparations for a PTT test.

Are there any risks to the test?

There is very little risk to having a blood test. You may have slight pain or bruising at the spot where the needle was put in, but most symptoms go away quickly.

What do the results mean?

Your PTT test results will show how much time it took for your blood to clot. Results are usually given as a number of seconds. A PTT test is often ordered along with another blood test called a prothrombin time (PT) test . A PT test measures other clotting factors that a PTT test doesn't check. Your provider will usually compare the results of both tests to understand how your blood is clotting. Ask your provider to explain what your test results mean for your health.

In general, if your blood took longer than normal to clot on a PTT test , it may be a sign of:

• Liver disease.
• A lack of vitamin K .
• Von Willebrand disease .
• Hemophilia.
• Too much heparin.
• Certain types of leukemia .
• Autoimmune diseases, such as antiphospholipid antibody syndrome or lupus anticoagulant syndrome. These diseases cause your body to make proteins called antibodies. The antibodies related to these diseases cause too much clotting . But the results of a PTT test may show a slow clotting time. That's because the chemicals in the PTT test react with the antibodies in your blood sample. This chemical reaction makes the blood sample clot more slowly than the blood in your body. If your provider thinks that an autoimmune disease is causing a clotting problem, you will usually have other tests to make a diagnosis.

If your blood clotted faster than normal on a PTT test , it may be a sign of:

• The early stage of disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC). This rare but serious condition may develop if you have an infection or damage to organs or tissues that affects blood clotting. In the early stage, you have too much blood clotting. Later on, DIC starts to use up clotting factors in your blood, which leads to bleeding problems.
• Cancer of the ovaries , colon , or pancreas that is advanced, which means the cancer has spread to other parts of the body and is unlikely to be controlled with treatment.

Talk with your provider to learn what your test results mean.

Learn more about laboratory tests, reference ranges, and understanding results .

Is there anything else I need to know about a PTT test?

If your provider thinks you may have a clotting disorder linked to lupus, you may have a test called an LA-PTT. This is a type of PTT test that is designed to look for a protein that's linked to increased clotting and having many miscarriages.

• American Society of Hematology [Internet]. Washington D.C.: American Society of Hematology; c2022. Bleeding Disorders; [cited 2022 Oct 4]; [about 2 screens]. Available from: https://www.hematology.org/education/patients/bleeding-disorders
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [Internet]. Atlanta: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; Diagnosis of Hemophilia; [updated 2020 Jul 17; cited 2022 Oct 4]; [about 3 screens]. Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/hemophilia/diagnosis.html
• Hinkle J, Cheever K. Brunner & Suddarth's Handbook of Laboratory and Diagnostic Tests. 2nd Ed, Kindle. Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer Health, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; c2014. Partial Thromboplastin Time (PTT); p. 400.
• Indiana Hemophilia & Thrombosis Center [Internet]. Indianapolis: Indiana Hemophilia & Thrombosis Center Inc.; c2022. Conditions tread at the IHTC; [cited 2022 Oct 4]; [about 1 screen]. Available from: https://www.ihtc.org/conditions
• Kids Health from Nemours [Internet]. Jacksonville (FL): The Nemours Foundation; c1995–2022. Blood Test: Partial Thromboplastin Time (PTT); [cited 2022 Oct 4]; [about 2 screens]. Available from: https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/test-ptt.html
• Mayo Clinic: Mayo Medical Laboratories [Internet]. Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research; c1995–2022. Test ID: ATPTT: Activated Partial Thromboplastin Time (APTT), Plasma: Clinical and Interpretive; [cited 2022 Oct 4]; [about 2 screens]. Available from: https://www.mayocliniclabs.com/test-catalog/overview/40935#Clinical-and-Interpretive
• National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute [Internet]. Bethesda (MD): U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; Blood Tests; [updated 2022 Mar 24; cited 2022 Oct 4]; [about 7 screens]. Available from: https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/blood-tests
• National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute [Internet]. Bethesda (MD): U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; What are Bleeding Disorders; [updated 2022 Mar 24; cited 2022 Oct 12]; [about 4 screens]. Available from: https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/bleeding-disorders
• National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute [Internet]. Bethesda (MD): U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; What are Blood Clotting Disorders; [updated 2022 Mar 24; cited 2022 Oct 12]; [about 4 screens]. Available from: https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/clotting-disorders
• Pathology Tests Explained [Internet]. Alexandria (Australia): Australasian Association for Clinical Biochemistry and Laboratory Medicine; c2022. Activated partial thromboplastin time; [Reviewed 2022 May 16; cited 2022 Oct 12]; [about 6 screens]. Available from: https://pathologytestsexplained.org.au/learning/test-index/aptt
• Riley Children's Health [Internet]. Indianapolis: Riley Hospital for Children at Indiana University Health; c2022. Coagulation Disorders; [cited 2022 Oct 4]; [about 7 screens]. Available from: https://www.rileychildrens.org/health-info/coagulation-disorders
• Rountree KM, Yaker Z, Lopez PP. Partial Thromboplastin Time. [Updated 2021 Aug 11; cited 2022 Oct 12]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2022 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK507772/
• Testing.com [Internet]. Seattle (WA): OneCare Media; c2022. Patrial Thromboplastin Time (PTT, aPTT); [modified 2021 Nov 9; cited 2022 Oct 4]; [about 15 screens]. Available from: https://www.testing.com/tests/partial-thromboplastin-time-ptt-aptt/
• UF Health: University of Florida Health [Internet]. Gainesville (FL): University of Florida; c2022. Partial thromboplastin time (PTT): Overview; [reviewed 2021 Jan 19; cited 2022 Oct 4]; [about 3 screens]. Available from: https://ufhealth.org/partial-thromboplastin-time-ptt
• University of Rochester Medical Center [Internet]. Rochester (NY): University of Rochester Medical Center; c2022. Health Encyclopedia: Activated Partial Thromboplastin Clotting Time; [cited 2022 Oct 4]; [about 3 screens]. Available from: https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/encyclopedia/content.aspx?contenttypeid=167&contentid=aptt
• UW Health [Internet]. Madison (WI): University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics Authority; c2022. Partial Thromboplastin Time (PTT) Test; [updated 2022 Jan 10; cited 2022 Oct 4]; [about 8 screens]. Available from: https://patient.uwhealth.org/healthwise/article/en-us/hw203152
• WFH: World Federation of Hemophilia [Internet]. Montreal Quebec, Canada: World Federation of Hemophilia; c2022. von Willebrand Disease (VWD); [cited 2022 Oct 4]; [about 2 screens]. Available from: https://elearning.wfh.org/elearning-centres/von-willebrand-disease/

The information on this site should not be used as a substitute for professional medical care or advice. Contact a health care provider if you have questions about your health.

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Physical Therapy Abbreviations Commonly Used by PTs

Medical terms can be a mouthful, even for physical therapists (PTs) . To keep things simple, they often abbreviate terms when speaking or writing notes. If you don't know what the shortened terms mean, it's important to ask so that you understand what has been ordered and participate more actively in your recovery plan.

This article includes a list of abbreviations that physical therapists commonly use when speaking or writing notes. Learning them can help you better understand your rehabilitation program and what the notations in your physical therapy report mean.

Blend Images - JGI/Tom Grill / Getty Images

Types of Abbreviations

Abbreviations are used for many reasons in physical therapy:

• Assistive device abbreviations : These abbreviations are used for various types of devices that help you walk and move about, such as crutches and canes.
• Range of motion abbreviations : Range of motion refers to how much a joint or body part can move in a range of directions.
• Therapeutic modalities abbreviations : These treatments are used to help improve blood flow, muscle contractions, and inflammation.
• Exercise equipment abbreviations : Physical therapists often use abbreviations that are specific to their clinic. For example, some McKenzie-trained physical therapists use the term REIL, which stands for repeated extension in lying. REIL is a kind of press-up exercise.

If you don't know what a word means in your physical therapy or rehab notes, ask your PT about it. And if they use a term you don't know when talking to you, ask them to explain it.

Physical Therapy Abbreviations (A-Z)

Use this resource to review the most common abbreviations in physical therapy and their meanings:

• 50%WB : 50 percent weight-bearing
• ā : Before
• AAROM: Active assistive range of motion
• ABD: Abduction
• ACJ :  Acromioclavicular joint
• ACL :  Anterior cruciate ligament
• AD : Assistive device
• ADD :  Adduction
• ADL :  Activities of daily living
• AFO:   Ankle foot orthosis (a type of handle brace)
• AKA : Above-the-knee amputation
• Amb : Ambulation
• AROM : Active range of motion
• B : Bilateral
• BID Twice a day
• BKA  Below-the-knee amputation
• C : With
• CGA :  Contact guard assist
• CKC : Closed kinetic chain
• CP : Cardiopulmonary (related to the heart and lungs)
• CPM:   Continuous passive motion
• CTx :  Cervical traction
• DB : Dumbbell
• DF:   Dorsiflexion of the ankle and foot
• DJD :  Degenerative disc disease
• ER : External rotation
• Estim or ES :  Electrical stimulation
• EV : Eversion of the ankle
• Ex : Exercise
• EXT : Extension (a slash mark is also sometimes used)
• FIM score :  Functional independence level
• FLEX :  Flexion (a checkmark is also sometimes used)
• FWB : Full weight-bearing
• Fx :  Fracture
• GHJ :  Glenohumeral joint
• H/o : History of
• HEP : Home exercise program
• HOB : Head of bed
• Horiz ABD :: Horizontal abduction
• Horiz A : DD  Horizontal adduction
• HP :  Hot packs
• HVGS : High-voltage galvanic stimulation
• Hx : History
• I : Independent
• Inv : Inversion
• Ionto :  Iontophoresis
• IR : Internal rotation
• ITB :  Iliotibial band
• IV : Inversion of the ankle or foot
• KAFO :  Knee-ankle foot orthosis
• LAQ :  Long arc quad
• LBQC : Large base quad cane (also known as a wide base quad cane, or WBQC)
• LCL :  Lateral collateral ligament
• LE : Lower extremity
• LOA : Level of assistance
• LTG : Long-term goals
• MCL :  Medial collateral ligament
• MFR :  Myofascial release
• MHP : Moist hot pack
• Mm : Muscle
• MMT :  Manual muscle test
• Mobs : Mobilization
• NDT : Neurodevelopmental technique (also known as Bobath technique)
• NMES :  Neuromuscular electrical stimulation
• NWB : Non-weight bearing
• OKC : Open kinetic chain
• OOB : Out of bed
• PCL :  Posterior cruciate ligament
• PF :  Plantar flexion
• Pfin :  Paraffin bath
• PFS :  Patellofemoral syndrome
• Phono :  Phonophoresis
• PMHx:  Past medical history
• PNF :  Proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation
• PRO :  Pronation of the foot or ankle
• PROM : Passive range of motion
• PT : Physical therapist
• Pt : Patient
• PTA : Physical therapy assistant
• PUW  Pick up walker
• PWB : Partial weight-bearing
• Q : Every
• QC :  Quad cane
• QD : Every day
• QID : Four times a day
• RC : Rotator cuff
• RD : Radial deviation (of the wrist or finger)
• RICE :  Rest, ice, compression, elevation
• ROM : Range of motion
• Rot : Rotation
• RW : Rolling walker
• Rx : Treatment
• S : Without (sans)
• SAQ :  Short arc quad
• SB : Side bending
• SBA : Stand by assist
• SBQC : Small base quad cane (also known as a narrow base quad cane, or NBQC)
• SC : Straight cane
• SLR :  Straight leg raise
• STM :  Soft tissue mobilization
• SUP : Supination
• SW : Standard walker
• TB :  Theraband
• TENS : Transcutaneous electrical neuromuscular stimulation
• THA :  Total hip arthroplasty
• Ther Ex : Therapeutic exercise
• TID : Three times a day
• TKA : Total knee arthroplasty
• TLSO :  Thoracic lumbar sacral orthosis
• TM : Treadmill
• Trxn :  Traction
• TTWB : Toe touch weight-bearing
• UBE :  Upper body ergometer
• UD:   Ulnar deviation (also known as ulnar drift)
• UE : Upper extremity
• US :  Ultrasound
• W/c : Wheelchair (also written as WC)
• WBAT : Weight-bearing as tolerated
• WFL : Within functional limit
• WNL : Within normal limits
• WW : Wheeled walker

Physical therapists use many different abbreviations when discussing treatment or writing reports. Understanding the terminology can help you gain a fuller understanding of your rehabilitation program and program results. Ask your therapist if you have any questions regarding your treatment.

By Laura Inverarity, DO  Laura Inverarity, PT, DO, is a current board-certified anesthesiologist and former physical therapist.