Deep venous thrombosis and pulmonary embolism in patients with acute spinal cord injury: a comparison with nonparalyzed patients immobilized due to spinal fractures

Journal Article · Sat Jun 01 00:00:00 EDT 1985 · J. Trauma; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1097/00005373-198506000-00013· OSTI ID:5245902

Myllynen, P; Kammonen, M; Rokkanen, P; Boestman, O L; Lalla, M; Laasonen, E

The occurrence of deep venous thrombosis (DVT) was studied in the series of 23 consecutive patients with acute spinal cord injury and 14 immobilized patients with spinal fractures without paralysis. The incidence of DVT in paralyzed patients was 100% as detected by the /sup 125/I-labeled fibrinogen test and confirmed by contrast venography, and 64% as detected by repeated clinical examinations and confirmed by contrast venography. The respective incidence of DVT in nonparalyzed patients with spinal fractures was 0%. The diagnosis of DVT was reached earlier with the radiofibrinogen test than with the clinical followup (5 days vs. 25 days). Two of the 23 paralyzed patients (9%) developed nonfatal clinical pulmonary embolism (PE). There were no differences in the values of routine coagulation tests. The result justifies prophylactic anticoagulant therapy in all cases of spinal cord injury during the acute post-traumatic phase.

• Research Organization: Helsinki Univ. Central Hospital, Finland
• OSTI ID: 5245902
• Journal Information: J. Trauma; (United States), Vol. 6
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE
FIBRINOGEN
LABELLING
SPINAL CORD
INJURIES
THROMBOSIS
DIAGNOSIS
BIOMEDICAL RADIOGRAPHY
BONE FRACTURES
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
IODINE 125
LABELLED COMPOUNDS
PATIENTS
TRACER TECHNIQUES
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BLOOD COAGULATION FACTORS
CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES
CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM
COAGULANTS
DAYS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
DIAGNOSTIC TECHNIQUES
DISEASES
DRUGS
ELECTRON CAPTURE RADIOISOTOPES
GLOBULINS
HEMATOLOGIC AGENTS
HEMOSTATICS
INTERMEDIATE MASS NUCLEI
IODINE ISOTOPES
ISOTOPE APPLICATIONS
ISOTOPES
MEDICINE
NERVOUS SYSTEM
NUCLEAR MEDICINE
NUCLEI
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PROTEINS
RADIOISOTOPES
RADIOLOGY
VASCULAR DISEASES
550601* - Medicine- Unsealed Radionuclides in Diagnostics
550602 - Medicine- External Radiation in Diagnostics- (1980-)