PARAMETERS OF HEMOSTASIS DURING ACUTE VENOUS THROMBOSIS

Underlying disorders of the coagulation system such as inhibitor defic iencies or decreased fibrinolysis are common in patients suffering fro m venous thrombosis. They may lead to the necessity of a lifelong prop hylaxis. Prompt diagnosis is obviously to the patients benefit. We inv estigated 22 patients suffering from venous thromboses for the inhibit ors antithrombin III (ATIII), protein C, and protein S during the firs t 8 to 12 days after admission to hospital and in addition after withd rawal from anticoagulant treatment after several months. At the day of admission ATIII and protein C levels were comparable to those several months later, but after 2 days they shifted downward or upward, respe ctively. Protein S did not shift during the period of hospitalisation. but was initially slightly lower than several months later. For inhib itors the day of admission to hospital is most suitable to lake the sa mples. About 50% of the patients still had elevated activation markers (prothrombin fragments F1+2, thrombin-antithrombin complex TAT, and D -dimers) after several months.