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Fibrinopeptide A (FPA) was measured in the plasma of 81 patients with suspected thromboembolism. Of 47 patients with positive venography and/or lung scan, 42 had elevated FPA levels >1.3 pmol/ml (mean 7.4) and 5 had levels 1.3 pmol/ml. These results suggest limitations for the FPA assay as a sole diagnostic test for thromboembolism but indicate that the test is likely to be useful in symptomatic patients when used in addition to diagnostic methods such as venography, impedance plethysmography, and leg and lung scanning. Intravenous heparin (mean dose 100 U/kg) lowered the FPA level into the normal range within 15 min in 24 of 25 patients, indicating immediate suppression of thrombin action. Repeat lung scans, FPA levels, and activated partial thromboplastin times (APTT) were analyzed in 17 patients over the first 10 days of therapy. Three patients with significant new lung scan defects had elevated FPA levels on 5.2 days (mean) out of 10 and APTT
Yudelman et al. (Thu,) studied this question.