Experimental Production of Afibrinogenemia and Hemorrhagic Phenomena by Combined Fibrinolysis and Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation

Abstract

THE appearance of a severe hemorrhagic diathesis associated with the absence, or extremely low levels, of circulating fibrinogen has long been known in certain clinical conditions such as premature separation of the placenta, amniotic-fluid embolism and septicemia. Moloney and his colleagues¹ were among the first to document the occurrence of low fibrinogen levels and the presence of fibrinolytic activity in the blood. They postulated that in this case the low fibrinogen was due to an in vivo fibrinolytic enzyme. Further studies by Reid et al.² in a group of patients with low fibrinogen and a hemorrhagic diathesis raised the possibility . . .