Blood coagulation & fibrinolysis : an international journal in haemostasis and thrombosis
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Blood Coagul. Fibrinolysis · Aug 1992
Case ReportsHaemostatic effects in vivo after snakebite by the red-necked keelback (Rhabdophis subminiatus).
We describe a patient who developed a severe coagulopathy after being bitten by a red-necked keelback snake (Rhabdophis subminiatus), a species which is generally considered non-venomous. The patient's blood was incoagulable due to complete depletion of fibrinogen. ⋯ The fibrinolysis was secondary to intravascular fibrin formation; there were no indications for a direct fibrinogenolytic activity in the snake toxin. Remarkably, there was virtually no consumption of antithrombin III, despite extensive thrombin formation; this feature appears to be not uncommon after snake bites, but is still unexplained.
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Blood Coagul. Fibrinolysis · Aug 1992
Case ReportsThrombolysis using consecutive high dose bolus and infusion of alteplase in a patient with acute massive pulmonary embolism.
We describe the successful use of a novel dosage regimen of alteplase in a 77-year-old man with massive acute pulmonary embolism in the presence of a relative contraindication (recent cranial surgery). An intravenous alteplase bolus of 50 mg was administered, followed 40 min later by a 50 mg infusion over 2 h. Pulmonary arteriography showed a considerable increase in intraluminal filling of thrombotically occluded vessels as a result of alteplase administration, and was accompanied by marked clinical improvement. ⋯ Detailed monitoring of haemostasis parameters showed elevated endogenous fibrinolytic activity at baseline, very high levels of fibrin degradation products during treatment resulting from lysis of an extensive thrombus mass, moderate fibrinogenolysis compared to fibrinolysis, long plasma half-lives of fibrin(ogen) degradation products (9.2-11.0 h), and increased thrombin generation. There were no bleeding side-effects. The regimen combines the advantages of rapid onset (bolus) and maintained potency (infusion) of thrombolytic effect in pulmonary embolism.