Ethanol Gelation: A Rapid Screening Test for Intravascular Coagulation

The ability of ethanol to gel soluble fibrin (fibrin monomer) in an in vitro test system and its further applicability in clinical situations are reported. Five patients with clinically documented disseminated intravascular coagulation had positive ethanol gelation tests. Thirty-six others, including four with hypofibrinogenemia from primary fibrinolysis, were negative. The ethanol test described is a simple, rapid screening procedure to distinguish between hypofibrinogenemia due to disseminated intravascular coagulation and hypofibrinogenemia due to primary fibrinolysis.