Sudden or unexpected death: with special reference to 1. status lymphaticus; and 2. post-operative pulmonary embolism (with records of fifty-five cases, and with the results of experiments on coagulation-time of the blood before and after surgical operation)

Abstract

The relation of this research, and of the other similar results which have been published, to the treatment of post-operative thrombosis, is perhaps an in- :direct one. It is proved that the great majority of patients of all ages, operated upon for all sorts of conditions and by various anaesthetics, show a distinct decrease in the coagulation-time of their blood after operation, and in one case where this decrease had been very marked, fatal pulmonary embolism occurred on the 9th day. There is no evidence that rise of temprerature caused by sepsis or an intercurrent infection has been associated with shortening of coagulation-time If it could be made out that climatic or atmospheric conditions were effecting a general shortening of coagtulation-time of normal people at certain times, or that a seasonal incidence of thrombosis was to be expected, it might be possible to advise the avoidance of all except emergency operations during these danger periods. It is suggested that this easy method of estimating coagulability might be useful in following the progress of cases of thrombosis and perhaps regulating treatment.