Fibrinolytic response to trauma.

The fibrinolytic response to trauma was investigated in 23 patients. Patients were triaged upon arrival in the emergency center into three groups; group I-patients with significant trauma who maintained normal vital signs, had a good prognosis, and tolerated the trauma well (mean injury severity score 8, range 4 to 12); group II--patients with significant trauma and transient episodes of hypotension, hypoxia, or acidosis who recovered (mean injury severity score 22, range 9 to 38); and group III--patients with profound or continued hypoxia and hypotension who eventually died of the trauma (mean injury severity score 41, range 30 to 50). Serial measurements of prothrombin time, activated partial thromboplastin time, and platelet count; concentrations of fibrinogen, plasminogen, and fibrin degradation products; and assays of euglobulin fraction fibrinolytic activity on plasminogen-free and plasminogen-rich fibrin plates were obtained on all patients.

Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia, thrombosis, and hemorrhage.

Sixty-two patients with a heparin-induced thrombocytopenia are reported. Clinical manifestations of this disorder include hemorrhage or, more frequently, thromboembolic events in patients receiving heparin. Laboratory testing has revealed a falling platelet count, increased resistance to heparin, and aggregation of platelets by the patient's plasma when heparin is added.

A new Cd-115 leads to In-115m radionuclide generator.

A new column-type Cd-115 leads to In- 115m generator has been developed by adsorbing CdI4(-2) on an anion-exchange resin and eluting the In-115m with 0.05 M HCl. The In-115m yield of the prototype column is 90% in a volume of 3 ml, with Cd-115 breakthrough of less than 3 X 10(-4)%.

Transcutaneous quantitation of arterial flow with ultrasound.

Arterial blood flow was measured in dogs simultaneously with electromagnetic flow probes and with ultrasonic "flow probes." The ultrasonic probes were used to determine transcutaneously the mean velocity of arterial flow and the cross-sectional area of the blood vessel. A 10 MHz probe was used for blood vessels 1 cm deep or less, while a 5 MHz probe was used for vessels between 1.

Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia with thrombosis and hemorrhage.

Thrombocytopenia (platelet count, 5,000 to 96,000/cu mm; average platelet count, 48,000/cu mm) developed in 31 patients while they were receiving prophylactic or therapeutic heparin sodium therapy. Twenty-one of these patients had associated thromboembolic complications that contributed to the deaths of eight patients. Twelve arterial thromboembolectomies were required for limb preservation in eight patients, with seven arterial thrombolectomies, early in the series, failing because heparin therapy was continued in the postoperative period.