EFFECT OF UNFRACTIONATED SODIUM HEPARIN AT THERAPEUTIC DOSES ON THE HEMORHEOLOGICAL PARAMETERS OF PATIENTS WITH DEEP-VEIN THROMBOSIS

We studied 25 patients with DVT in basal conditions and after 24 h of treatment with unfractionated heparin (UFH) to discover the possible e ffect of therapeutic doses of this drug on hemorheological parameters in these patients. The parameters studied are: erythrocyte aggregation (EA) at stasis (EA(o)) and a low shear rate (EA(1)), blood viscosity, plasma viscosity, fibrinogen and activated partial thromboplastin tim e. The results show that UFH significantly improves EA, and EA,, from 4.87 and 9.73 without heparin to 3.53 and 8.70 with heparin respective ly. The other hemorheological characteristics are not significantly mo dified. We conclude that UFH at therapeutic doses seems to improve ery throcyte aggregability regardless of the plasma level of fibrinogen. T his suggests a possible direct effect of UFH on EA.