ACT is a blood clotting test that is used primarily to monitor high doses of unfractionated (standard) heparin anticoagulant therapy. Heparin is a blood clotting inhibitor that is usually given either intravenously (IV) or by injection. In moderate doses, heparin is used to help prevent and treat inappropriate blood clot formation (thrombosis or thromboembolism) and is monitored using the partial thromboplastin time (PTT) test or the heparin antifactor Xa test. Monitoring is a vital part of the anticoagulation therapy because a particular quantity of heparin will affect each person a little bit differently. If the amount of heparin administered is insufficient to inhibit the body's clotting system, blood clots may form in blood vessels throughout the body. If there is too much heparin, the patient may experience excessive, even life-threatening, bleeding.
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