Postoperative fibrinolytic activity and deep vein thrombosis

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Abstract
The changes in blood fibrinolytic activity, measured by an isotopic method, have been studied in 50 patients following a major surgical operation. A phase of enhanced fibrinolytic activity occurred at the time of operation. Subsequently no evidence of prolonged depression of fibrinolytic activity was demonstrated. Patients who developed postoperative deep vein thrombosis, as diagnosed by the 125I fibrinogen technique, exhibited significantly lower fibrinolytic activity on the first postoperative day than patients with no thrombosis (P<0.01); apart from this the two groups of patients showed no demonstrable difference in fibrinolytic activity in the 7 days after operation.