Hemostatic Breakdown, Fibrinolysis, and Acquired Hemolytic Anemia in a Patient with Fatal Heatstroke: Pathogenetic Mechanisms
- 1 February 1971
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Oxford University Press (OUP) in American Journal of Clinical Pathology
- Vol. 55 (2) , 180-185
- https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcp/55.2.180
Abstract
A patient with fatal heatstroke developed hemorrhagic manifestations and overt hemolytic anemia. Over a period of 10 days, studies of the components of the clotting and fibrinolytic systems were carried out to analyze their roles in the pathogenesis of the hemostatic breakdown. Findings indicated a combination of intravascular defibrination and activation of fibrinolysis, the latter apparently followed by the appearance in the bloodstream of products of depolymerization of fibrin and fibrinogen, with the property of antithrombin anticoagulants. Thrombocytopenia and thrombocytopathy were present. Hemolysis and release of thromboplastic material and fibrinolysokinases into the bloodstream probably were related to tissue injury due to the hyperthermia. A hypothesis of the sequence of events leading to the severe hemostatic breakdown in heatstroke is presented.Keywords
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