Blood coagulation & fibrinolysis : an international journal in haemostasis and thrombosis
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Blood Coagul. Fibrinolysis · Jul 2014
Dabigatran assessment in patients with acute complications using routine coagulation assays.
Complications while on dabigatran therapy, particularly bleeding and thrombosis, are occurring, and require laboratory assessment. The utility of routine coagulation assays has been previously evaluated in stable patients, but not those with acute complications. The purpose of this study was to determine how to employ routine coagulation assays to assess dabigatran in patients with acute complications. ⋯ There was wide variation in the sensitivity of commercial fibrinogen assays to dabigatran, with some even showing interference in the therapeutic range but this could be mitigated. The PTT is unreliable as a method for assessment of dabigatran in patients with acute complications. The TT assay is a simple and reliable alternative, particularly when combined with a fibrinogen level.
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Blood Coagul. Fibrinolysis · Jul 2014
Colon and pancreas tumors enhance coagulation: role of hemeoxygenase-1.
Colon and pancreatic cancer are associated with significant thrombophilia. Colon and pancreas tumor cells have an increase in hemeoxygenase-1 (HO-1) activity, the endogenous enzyme responsible for carbon monoxide production. Given that carbon monoxide enhances plasmatic coagulation, we determined if patients undergoing resection of colon and pancreatic tumors had an increase in endogenous carbon monoxide and plasmatic hypercoagulability. ⋯ Further, 67% of tumor patients had clot strength that exceeded the normal 95% confidence interval value, and 56% of this subgroup had COHF formation. Finally, 63% of all tumor patients had COHF formation. Future investigation of HO-1-derived carbon monoxide in the pathogenesis of colon and pancreatic tumor-related thrombophilia is warranted.
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Blood Coagul. Fibrinolysis · Jun 2014
Comparative StudyComparison of five D-dimer reagents and application of an age-adjusted cut-off for the diagnosis of venous thromboembolism in emergency department.
There is still a considerable uncertainty concerning D-dimer cut-off values used in exclusion of venous thromboembolic (venous thromboembolism, VTE) disease, especially among the elderly patients. The objectives were to compare five different D-dimer reagents in the daily practice of an emergency department and to test retrospectively the performances of an age-adjusted cut-off. A total of 473 consecutive ambulatory outpatients suspected of VTE (confirmed VTE = 21) were included in this study. ⋯ The interest of such strategy is more or less pronounced, depending on the type of D-dimer reagent. The application of an age-adjusted cut-off may be useful to reduce differences among D-dimer reagents to lower costly imaging studies. Prospective validation studies on large cohorts of patients are required to determine the safety of such strategy.
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Blood Coagul. Fibrinolysis · Jun 2014
Case ReportsThe effect of recombinant human soluble thrombomodulin on disseminated intravascular coagulation in an abdominal aortic aneurysm.
Aortic aneurysms are sometimes accompanied with disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC). The definitive treatment of DIC is removal of underlying disease; surgical repair for the aortic aneurysms. ⋯ After having confirmed that combined use of heparin and gabexate mesilate was ineffective, we used recombinant human soluble thrombomodulin (rhsTM), which has been reported to be more effective and safer than the heparin, for a week preoperatively, and demonstrated dramatic improvement of DIC. RhsTM should be a novel powerful therapeutic option for aneurysm-induced DIC.
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Blood Coagul. Fibrinolysis · Jun 2014
The influence of coagulopathy on outcome after traumatic subdural hematoma: a retrospective single-center analysis of 319 patients.
The aim of this study was to identify the effects of coagulopathy on the outcome of patients with traumatic subdural hematoma (SDH). Based on a retrospective study, the records of all patients admitted between 2001 and 2007 to a large emergency hospital with acute SDH resulting from traumatic brain injury (TBI) were analyzed. An initial Glasgow coma score (GCS), clinical state, and Glasgow outcome score (GOS) were recorded for all patients. ⋯ Patients with coagulopathy had a significantly worse outcome. Almost twice as many patients died in the coagulopathy group (mean GOS 3.10 ± 1.46) than in the group without coagulopathy (mean GOS 2.16 ± 1.45), (P < 0.001). In-hospital mortality is twice as frequent in patients with coagulopathy with traumatic SDH compared with noncoagulopathic patients, even if the initial severity of the TBI does not differ.