Summary
A 37-year-old woman developed an acute defibrination syndrome with peripheral vascular
collapse and a renal shut-down following an operation for uterine prolapse. The bleeding
tendency was controlled by treatment with blood, Cohn’s fraction I and EACA. During
the period when the levels of the clotting factors reached a peak, the patient developed
multiple pulmonary emboli. The patient recovered following administration of heparin
and antibiotics. The connection between the defibrination syndrome and the subsequent
hypercoagulable state is discussed with special mention of the possible role of therapy
- mainly EACA - in the production of the latter. The levels of the various clotting
factors were very low at the time of the bleeding, but rose to abnormally high values
within the ensuing 8 to 10 days.