Staphylococcal Clumping on Microtiter Plates: A Rapid, Simple Method for Measuring Fibrinogen Split Products

Abstract

A rapid, simple method for measuring fibrinogen split products in serum is described. It is based on clumping of staphylococci after serial dilution of test samples on a microtiter plate. The assay can be completed in less than 30 min.; its usual sensitivity is 0.75 μg. per ml. (in fibrinogen equivalents). The sera of 52 blood bank donors had a range of 0.75 to 9 μg. per ml. (mean ± , 2.7 ±2.1 ±g. per ml.), with only one value > 6 μg. per ml. The results by this method were in good agreement with those obtained by a hemagglutination-inhibition method for frozen sera of patients with evidence of the intravascular coagulation and fibrinolysis (ICF) syndrome. Analysis in cases of suspected ICF should be done on fresh sera.