Thirteen patients submitted to total hip replacement surgery by the Charnley technique were studied. Operations were performed under epidural analgesia with the patients awake and breathing air. During the surgical procedure, the magnitude of tissue-thromboplastic activity, the amount of fat globules, the presence of bone marrow cells and the concentrations of acrylic monomers were determined in the pulmonary arterial blood. Simultaneously, arterial blood gases and blood pressure were monitored. Marked reductions of the arterial blood pressure and arterial oxygen tension occurred after impaction of the femoral prosthesis, and minor depressions appeared after insertion of the acetabular prosthesis. A significant correlation was found between the release of tissue-thromboplastic products into the pulmonary circulation, i.e., products that initiate intravascular coagulation and the circulatory and respiratory reactions. The pulmonary fat droplets, per se, seem to be of minor importance, and the release of acrylic monomers is probably of no importance for these reactions.

Acrylates↗

PubMed1975

The use of 125I-labelled fibrinogen for determination of fibrin trapping in the lungs in patients developing the microembolism syndrome.

The microembolism syndrome occurred in four patients out of a series of 15 patients with multiple injuries who were considered to run a risk of developing this syndrome. These four patients showed signs of fibrin trapping in the lungs, as demonstrated by the use of 125I-labelled fibrinogen and external detection over the lungs. It is, therefore, considered that this method can be used for diagnosing the microembolism syndrome. The fibrin trapping occurred at the onset of the progressive respiratory insufficiency. The time relation between the uptake of fibrin and the onset of the progressive respiratory insufficiency supports the theory of a causal connection between fibrin and pulmonary damage. Measurements of different coagulation and fibrinolysis factors in the blood were not able to discriminate between patients who developed the microembolism syndrome and those who did not.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1975

Effect of total cavo-portal shunt on pulmonary fibrin deposition after intra-aortal infusion of thrombin in the dog.

The effect of total cavo-portal shunt on the deposition of fibrin in the lungs and liver in dogs was studied after intra-aortal infusion of thrombin. 125I-labelled fibrinogen was used for calculation of the amount of fibrin. The pronounced pulmonary trapping of fibrin seen in non-operated control dogs did not occur in dogs submitted to the shunt operation; in these dogs a considerable trapping was seen in the liver. These results indicate that in generalized thrombinaemia the microclots are mainly formed in the venous circulation and transported to the nearest capillary network, where passive mechanical filtration occurs.

Animals↗

PubMed1975