HEMODYNAMIC AND FIBRINOLYTIC CONSEQUENCES OF INTERMITTENT PNEUMATIC COMPRESSION - PRELIMINARY-RESULTS

Objective: To elucidate the time course and magnitude of hemodynamic a nd fibrinolytic changes associated with sequential gradient intermitte nt pneumatic compression (SGIPC), Design: Two-phase, intervention and response investigation in normal volunteers, Materials and Methods: Su bjects were assigned to control (phase I) or compression (phase II) gr oups, Serial blood samples were obtained via femoral venous catheters for tissue plasminogen activator (tPA), plasminogen activator inhibito r (PAI-1), tPA-PAI-1 complex (tPA-PAI), and euglobulin lysis time (ELT ) from all subjects and for fibrin degradation products (FbDP) and fib rinogen degradation products (FgDP) from phase II subjects. Duplex ven ous scanning was carried out on phase II subjects before and during SG IPC, Results: Catheter placement caused elevations in PAI-1 and tPA-PA I, which stabilized within 4 hours of catheter insertion, In phase II, SGIPC induced significant increases in FbDP, FgDP, and tPA-PAI and de creases in ELT and PAI-1, all of which quickly reverted to baseline on termination of compression, Femoral venous blood flow increased by mo re than 100% with SGIPC, Conclusions: Sequential gradient intermittent pneumatic compression induces prompt, but short-lived, alterations in both fibrinolytic and hemodynamic function, Noncontinuous SGIPC may r esult in suboptimal thromboembolic prophylaxis.