Increased Fibrinolytic Activity and Fibrin Degradation Products After Experimental Intracerebral Haemorrage

The fibrinolytic activity of the peripheral blood and cerebrospinal fluid was studied in 10 dogs in which intracerebral haematomas had been produced by injection of blood into the brain. Blood and cerebrospinal fluid samples were obtained at regular intervals before and after operation. The fibrinolytic activity of these two fluids were estimated by the fibrin plate method and by assays for fibrin degradation products. After the production of the haematoma, signs of increased fibrinolytic activity were found in blood and cerebrospinal fluid one day after the intracerebral injection in 6 animals. A correlation was found between the size of the haematoma and the level of the fibrinolytic activity of blood and cerebrospinal fluid. Determination of fibrin degradation products in blood and cerebrospinal fluid and the measurement of fibrinolytic activity by the plate method complement each other and are therefore recommended in this type of investigation.