Abstract
Changes in coagulation findings before and after development of acute myocardial infarction and stroke were determined in patients who admitted in Tokyo Metropolitan Geriatric Hospital. The patients were restricted to autopsied cases in whom coagulation analysis was carried out within 24 hours following the attack of acute myocardial infarction or apoplexy. These cases consisted of 28 of acute myocardial infarction, 28 of acute cerebral infarction (excluding cases of hemorrhagic infarction), 7 of acute cerebral hemorrhagic infarction and 10 of acute cerebral hemorrhage.
There were no changes in APTT and prothrombin time before and after the onset of the myocardial infarction or the stroke. A slight increase in plasma fibrinogen content was occasionally observed before the attack of the myocardial infarction or the apoplexy, however levels of fibrinogen in plasma tended to increase markedly following the attack. A slight increase in FDP was frequently observed in patients with poor prognosis. A remarkable prolongation of euglobulin lysis time was observed in cases of acute myocardial infarction. Euglobulin lysis times were prolonged in these cases preceding the development of the infarction. Generally, euglobulin lysis times in cases of acute cerebral hemorrhage or acute cerebral hemorrhagic infarction were slightly shorter than in cases of acute cerebral infarction (excluding hemorrhagic infarction). There was a trend toward a transient shortening of euglobulin lysis time after the attack of stroke, followed by a marked prolongation accompanied with a decrease in plasminogen content in plasma. A decrease in levels of antithrombin III in plasma was observed before and after the development of acute myocardial infarction. This most important inhibitor of blood coagulation also decreased slightly in cases of acute cerebral infarction, while concentration of α2-macroglobulin increased transiently following the stroke.
