What Do Blood Test Results Mean When Doctors Don’t Respond and Politicians Blame Patients?

During the COVID-19 pandemic, laboratory tests were meant to serve as essential tools to guide diagnosis and treatment. Yet, my personal experience reveals a troubling gap between testing and clinical action. In 2019, I advocated for a thrombosis ultrasound, which came back positive. Despite this, a follow-up blood test in 2020 led to no medical response—no interpretation, no follow-up, and no treatment plan. The data existed, but it was ignored.

This lack of clinical engagement raises a serious concern: when healthcare providers fail to act on objective test results, patients risk being patients risk—overlooked, mischaracterized, or even politicized. Instead of receiving evidence-based care, patients may find themselves lost in a system that prioritizes procedure over outcomes.

Political rhetoric only adds to the problem. Speaking at an event hosted by the Association of Mechanical Engineers, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) criticized citizens for visiting doctors too frequently. “One billion doctor visits in Germany per year is a dubious European record,” he said. With an average of ten visits per person annually, Merz called for “better incentives” in systems like health insurance and social security to encourage more “resource-conscious” behavior.

But who is really wasting resources—patients seeking answers, or a system that fails to act on the information it already has?

Original Link: https://www.aerzteblatt.de/news/merz-deutsche-gehen-zu-oft-zum-arzt-1bcb705d-16bb-4c15-a31e-73e751e5c4cb

Partial Report – July 18, 2022

Patient:

Date of Birth:

Key Abnormal Laboratory Findings

1. Inflammatory and Vascular Markers

 

CRP (C-reactive protein): 40.7 mg/l (Reference: 0 – 3.1 mg/l)

Significantly elevated. Indicates acute or chronic inflammation.

 

Homocysteine: 16.5 μmol/l (Reference: 5.0 – 15.0 μmol/l)

Mildly elevated. May be associated with increased risk of vascular disease or thrombosis.

 

Haptoglobin: 2.9 g/l (Reference: 0.3 – 2.0 g/l)

Elevated. Can be a sign of inflammation or tissue stress.

 

LDH (Lactate Dehydrogenase): 330 U/l (Reference: < 250 U/l)

Elevated. May indicate cell damage or inflammation.

2. Blood Coagulation (Clotting Profile / Thrombosis Risk)

 

INR: 3.09 (Reference: 0.85 – 1.27)

Significantly elevated. Suggests increased bleeding risk, possibly due to anticoagulant medication (e.g., warfarin).

 

Quick (Prothrombin Time): 24% (Reference: 86 – 140%)

Severely decreased. Supports reduced clotting capacity.

 

D-dimers: 1371 ng/ml (Reference: 1 – 500 ng/ml)

Markedly elevated. Could suggest thrombosis, clot breakdown, or inflammation.

 

Factor II (Prothrombin): 19% (Reference: 50 – 129%)

Severely reduced. Indicates a clotting disorder.

 

Factor VII: 19% (Reference: 50 – 129%)

Severely reduced.

 

Factor IX: 45% (Reference: 65 – 150%)

Mildly reduced.

 

Factor X: 12% (Reference: 77 – 131%)

Severely reduced.

 

Protein C and Protein S (free and active): All decreased

Suggests impaired natural anticoagulant function, potential thrombophilia.

 

Factor XI: 188% (Reference: 65 – 150%)

Elevated. May increase clotting tendency.

 

dRVVT (Lupus Anticoagulant Test): 1.62 (Reference: 0.1 – 1.2)

Possible indication of lupus anticoagulant—can be associated with autoimmune clotting disorders.

3. Immunological Markers / Autoantibodies

Glycoprotein Antibodies IgM: 14.1 AU/ml (Reference: 0 – 10 AU/ml)

Elevated. May indicate an autoimmune response.

 

Cardiolipin Antibodies IgM: 18.7 U/ml (Reference: 0 – 10 U/ml)

Elevated. Also suggests possible autoimmune activity, potentially antiphospholipid syndrome.

 

4. Blood Count

Leukocytes (white blood cells): 12.7 G/l (Reference: 3.6 – 10.5 G/l)

Mildly elevated. Could indicate infection or inflammation.

 

MPV (Mean Platelet Volume): 12.0 fl (Reference: 7.4 – 11.7 fl)

Slightly elevated. May suggest active platelet production.

 

Normal or Unremarkable Findings

Clotting factors V, VIII, XII, XIII and von Willebrand factor are within normal limits.

 

Red blood cells (RBC), hemoglobin, hematocrit are normal.

 

Ferritin: 205.1 μg/l – mildly elevated, possibly due to inflammation.

 

Lipoprotein(a): 4.9 mg/dl – normal.

 

Antibody screening test (AKS): negative.

 

Other tests (e.g., Prolactin, tPA, PAI-1, Protein Z Antigen) are pending. Never received them.

Summary and Interpretation (Plain Language)

There is a significant clotting disorder, possibly due to anticoagulant therapy (e.g., warfarin) or an underlying autoimmune condition such as antiphospholipid syndrome.

Elevated inflammation markers (CRP, leukocytes, LDH) suggest an active inflammatory or infectious process.

Several clotting factors are markedly reduced, increasing the risk of bleeding.

Autoantibodies (Cardiolipin, Glycoprotein IgM) are positive, which may point to an autoimmune cause for the blood clotting abnormalities.

Some test results are still pending, which may provide further clarity.

Medical Questions to Clarify

 

Is there an autoimmune disease present? (e.g., Antiphospholipid Syndrome or Lupus)

 

Is the patient on blood thinners, and is the dosage correct?

 

What is the underlying cause of the inflammation? (e.g., infection, autoimmune disease)

 

Should the treatment plan be adjusted, especially regarding anticoagulants or anti-inflammatory therapy?

 

Thrombophilia is the opposite of hemophilia but can occur in the same person, with co-inheritance of genetic factors or treatment effects increasing clot risk in hemophiliacs. While hemophilia is a bleeding disorder caused by insufficient clotting, thrombophilia is a blood disorder where blood clots too easily. Factors increasing this risk in hemophiliacs include factor replacement therapies, immobility after bleeds, certain genetic mutations, and even the hemophilia itself altering blood vessel endothelium.

 

Von Willebrand factor (VWF) is related to hemophilia because it acts as a chaperone for Factor VIII (FVIII), the clotting factor deficient in Hemophilia A. VWF helps stabilize FVIII in the blood, preventing its premature degradation and ensuring its function in the coagulation cascade. Defective VWF, particularly in Von Willebrand disease type 2N, can lead to low FVIII levels, which can mimic Hemophilia A and result in similar symptoms.

 

© 2000-2025 Sieglinde W. Alexander. All writings by Sieglinde W. Alexander have a fife year copy right. Library of Congress Card Number: LCN 00-192742 ISBN: 0-9703195-0-9