What question did this study set out to answer?

To determine the clinicopathological significance of disseminated intravascular coagulation in patients dying shortly after severe head injury.

July 1, 1984Neurosurgery

Clinicopathological Correlations of Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation in Patients with Head Injury

View Full Paper

Ask AI

Bookmark

Authors

HKHoward H. KaufmanDartmouth College KHK S HuiNathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research JMJoan C. MattsonBeaumont Hospital, Royal Oak

Discussion

Member takes

Implication

Autopsy study demonstrates widespread microthrombi across multiple organs in head-injured patients with coagulopathy, suggesting systemic clotting contributes to fatal organ failure.

Key Points

To determine the clinicopathological significance of disseminated intravascular coagulation in patients dying shortly after severe head injury.
Analyzed clinical records, laboratory coagulopathy tests, and postmortem findings in 16 head-injured patients with disseminated intravascular coagulation who died within 4 days of injury.
Reevaluated postmortem tissue specimens across multiple organs using an immunoperoxidase technique with rabbit anti-human fibrinogen antiserum to detect occult microthrombi.
Fibrinogen degradation products and fibrinogen levels were the most frequently abnormal tests, followed by activated partial thromboplastin time, prothrombin time, and thrombin time, with platelet counts being least abnormal.
Immunoperoxidase staining revealed frequent microthrombi across organs—most commonly in the central nervous system, liver, lungs, kidneys, and pancreas—with larger microthrombi occurring in patients dying under 24 hours.
High rates of pulmonary bleeding and microthrombi corresponded with clinical pulmonary dysfunction observed prior to death.

Cite This Study

Kaufman et al. (1984) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a837ecc293c3a0e7aa64c3f https://doi.org/10.1227/00006123-198407000-00008

View Full Paper

Ask AI

Bookmark

Implication

Autopsy study demonstrates widespread microthrombi across multiple organs in head-injured patients with coagulopathy, suggesting systemic clotting contributes to fatal organ failure.

Clinicopathological Correlations of Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation in Patients with Head Injury

Discussion

Member takes

Implication

Key Points

Cite This Study

Clinicopathological Correlations of Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation in Patients with Head Injury

Discussion

Member takes

Implication

Key Points

Cite This Study

Also Consider

Also Consider