Anaphylactic shock and hyperfibrinolysis measured with thromboelastography

A Parashchanka1, P A H Wyffels, J G M Van Limmen

  • 1Dept of Anesthesiology, University Hospital Ghent, De Pintelaan 185, 9000 Ghent, Belgium.

This case report presents anaphylactic shock in which hyperfibrinolysis was diagnosed with Thromboelastography (TEG). A 45 year old female patient was scheduled for vacuum-assisted wound closure. At induction, she developed an anaphylactic shock that stabilized after standard treatment. TEG analysis revealed hyperfibrinolysis. Surgery was delayed and there were no signs of spontaneous bleeding. A repeat TEG analysis performed 30 minutes later showed a completely normalized coagulation pattern. Few reports have documented the association between anaphylactic shock and hyperfibrinolysis. This case illustrates the transient and short-lived nature of the phenomenon. The mechanisms and potential consequences are discussed.

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