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Biomedical subjects

L Poller

Publications and source records attributed to L Poller.

At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources

Coagulation studies as a prognostic index in acute liver failure.

A coagulation screen has been performed on 12 patients with acute liver failure. Six died and six recovered. All six fatal cases developed a haemorrhagic state with haemostatic failure. An attempt has been made to delineate the various mechanisms for the production of the coagulation defect. The significance of the different haematological parameters in assessing prognosis has been assessed. The study emphasizes the importance of the synthetic ability of the liver in determining survival prospects. A good correlation between the factor-VII level, which is a guide to liver synthesis, and recovery has been shown. The value of a specific factor-VII assay in acute liver failure appears considerable. Where this assay cannot be performed the clot opacity fibrinogen technique provides a reasonable guide to the prognosis. The presence or absence of DIC was not a determinant factor in survival in this series.

Adolescent

Disseminated intravascular coagulation associated with hepatitis in late pregnancy.

A patient with viral hepatitis in the third trimester of pregnancy is described. She developed acute hepatic failure in the postpartum period which was associated with evidence of intravascular coagulation. Following therapy with heparin and fresh-frozen plasma, the patient made a dramatic recovery. Hepatitis developed during the puerperium may predispose to pathological intravascular coagulation and hepatocellular necrosis may thereby be perpetuated.

Acenocoumarol

Effects of progestogen oral contraception with norethisterone on blood clotting and platelets.

The effects on clotting tests and platelet function of six months' continuous administration of the 19-norsteroid, progestogen-only contraceptive, norethisterone, have been studied in four groups of women. In a group of women who have not previously taken oral contraceptive no acceleration of clotting or platelet factors was found, but in contrast a tendency to reduced coagulability was observed. Women who had previously been taking combined oestrogen-progestogen preparations showed reduced clotting and platelet parameters when norethisterone was substituted. No changes in clotting or platelets were found in women who changed from 17-acetoxysteroid progestogen chloramadinone acetate or in a group of women started postpartum.

Blood Coagulation

The partial thromboplastin (cephalin) time test.

Nine partial thromboplastin (cephalin) reagents have been compared in a parallel investigation of groups of patients on ;long-term' anticoagulants, a group with moderate haemophilia, and patients on heparin infusion. Results with the seven commercial reagents and a human cephalin extract have been correlated with those of a specially prepared and standardized reference preparation of human brain origin. The comparison was similar in principle to that of the prothrombin time thromboplastin standardization using the British Comparative Thromboplastin (BCT). Results, which for comparative purposes were expressed as ratio of patients' cephalin times to control cephalin times, varied greatly in all three groups. In the oral anticoagulant group some of the commercial reagents were particularly insensitive to the ;intrinsic' clotting defect. The correlation between the ;standardized preparation' and the other reagents was not good and the use of a reference cephalin material for quality control of cephalin time tests does not appear promising. In moderate haemophilia the commercial reagents were either relatively poor at picking out the clotting defect compared with the ;standardized preparation' or gave such a bad endpoint that the results were not dependable. The poor endpoint also limited the dependability of the results of all but the ;standardized preparation' and two of the commercial reagents in controlling heparin administration. In view of these standardization difficulties, which cannot apparently be resolved by the use of reference material, there is need for bulk, routine supplies of a sensitive, standardized cephalin reagent giving good reproducible endpoints. The method for the provision of such material in a recently introduced national supply scheme is described.

Blood Coagulation Tests