A New Diagnostic and Therapeutic Approach Fibrinolysis and Hemorrhage

1. The case is presented of a patient who underwent a cesarean section during which cardiac arrest occurred. Cardiac massage was successful in reestablishing normal heart action.

2. A severe hemorrhagic diathesis associated with fibrinolysis appeared during the period of shock associated with cardiac arrest.

3. The plasma of the patient obtained during the period of fibrinolysis was able to digest its own fibrin as well as a substrate of casein marked with radioactive iodine.

4. A new method of measurement of fibrinolysis based on the use of tagged casein is presented: the main advantage of this method is that the substrate is not contaminated with plasminogen or plasmin. In addition the products of the reaction are measured by their radioactivity. Therefore, the blank and readings in this method depend solely upon the substrate and are not contributed to by the other reagents used.

5. The proteolytic activity of the plasma from a patient with fibrinolysis was shown to be inhibited by the trypsin inhibitor from soy bean.

6. The intravenous injection of trypsin inhibitor in this patient was followed by the disappearance of fibrinolysis in her blood.