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Updated: Jun 10, 2026
04:56
Determination of the Procoagulant Activity of Extracellular Vesicle (EV) Using EV-Activated Clotting Time (EV-ACT)
Published on: August 4, 2023
Coagulation abnormalities following thermal injury.
David R King1, Nicholas Namias, David M Andrews
1Department of Surgery, Division of Trauma, Emergency Surgery, and Surgical Critical Care, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, USA. dking3@partners.org
Summary
Severe burns trigger a hypercoagulable state, impacting blood clotting. Prothrombin fragment 1.2 may help screen for this burn-induced condition.
Area of Science:
- Trauma and Emergency Medicine
- Hematology
- Burn Injury Management
Background:
- Coagulation changes significantly affect outcomes in severe burn patients.
- Coagulation abnormalities following thermal injury are not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the hypothesis that thermal injury induces a systemic hypercoagulable state.
- To characterize coagulation changes in patients with severe burns.
Main Methods:
- Case series involving five burn patients.
- Blood samples collected on specific hospital days (1, 2, 3, 5, 7) or at discharge.
- Standard and specialized coagulation assays performed, alongside collection of resuscitation and physiological data.
Main Results:
- Burns <6% total body surface area (TBSA) showed minimal coagulation impact.
- Burns >6% TBSA induced a systemic hypercoagulable state, proportional to burn severity.
- Severe burns >40% TBSA appeared to cause a consumptive coagulopathy.
Conclusions:
- Burn severity correlates with the development of a hypercoagulable state.
- Prothrombin fragment 1.2 may serve as a valuable screening tool for burn-induced hypercoagulability.
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