Prothrombin: A Critique of Methods for Its Determination and Their Clinical Significance

Abstract

AS A result of the widespread use of dicumarol in the prevention and treatment of thromboembolism, clinicians have become increasingly interested in the role of prothrombin in blood coagulation. Investigators are aware that present technics for prothrombin estimation have their limitations. Failure to recognize them may prevent accurate diagnosis, obstruct effective therapy or even invite disaster. It is the purpose of this paper to delineate these limitations and to scrutinize current analytical procedures in the light of recent advances in knowledge of blood coagulation.General ConsiderationsBy chemical isolation and purification Seegers et al.¹ have defined the plasma protein component . . .