Postoperative haemostatic changes in patients given thromboembolic prophylaxis with dextran 70--alone, or in...

Haemostatic changes were studied in 107 patients undergoing elective general and urologic surgery or hip replacement. All patients received dextran 70 and half of them, randomly chosen, were also given dihydroergotamine. Blood samples were taken before operation and on the fourth postoperative day. In all patients increases in factor VIII:C, VIII:R Ag and fibrinogen were noted, and decreases in thrombin time, antithrombin III and alpha 2-macroglobulin. In patients undergoing hip replacement, alpha 2-antiplasmin (measured amidolytically) also increased. No major intergroup differences were noted. Comparison between elective hip patients given general anaesthesia and those given epidural analgesia revealed no major differences in haemostatic response. From our findings it would appear that the coagulation and fibrinolytic systems remain unaffected by dihydroergotamine.