Intravascular Coagulation in Uterine Venous Blood of Toxemic Patients

Abstract

Coagulation profile was investigated in blood drawn from the uterine vein of 12 patients undergoing cesarean section for moderate to moderately severe preeclampsia, and blood drawn peripherally at the same time. An identical study was made in a control group of 12 nontoxemic patients undergoing routine repeat cesarean section. In the control group, platelet counts and fibrinogen levels were always within normal limits, and there was no major difference between peripheral and uterine vein blood; fibrin degradation products (FDP) were uniformly absent. Compared to control patients, the preeclamptic patients showed in the peripheral blood drops in the platelet counts of 17 percent and in fibrinogen level of 5 percent, and in the uterine venous blood drops in the platelet counts of 43 percent and in fibrinogen level of 18 percent. FDP were present once in the peripheral blood and three times in the uterine venous blood. It appears that when blood passes through the toxemic placenta first there is consumption of thrombocytes, second fibrinogen to fibrin conversion, and then FDP formation.