Labeling patients as hypercoagulable has implications in many aspects of their care. It is important to realize that clots develop for many reasons. The true Hypercoagulable States are only one category in this differential diagnosis. Therefore, before labeling a patient as hypercoagulable, these other causes must be ruled out. Patient has had a recent surgical procedure.
Surgery allows exposure of blood to tissue factor.
Immobilization causing stastis of blood. Therefore, all that clots is not hypercoagulable. When a person presents with a DVT, PE, or some other clot, the patient's history should be probed for the above risk factors. Then, one can pursue looking for a true hypercoagulable state. There are several disease processes related to the clotting cascade that result in a hypercoagulable state.