Microelectrophoresis of blood platelets and the effects of dextran.

Abstract

The intravenous administration of dextran has previously been shown to produce a bleeding tendency in laboratory animals and in humans. Extensive studies concerning the hemostatic defect have yielded much useful information. Carbone, Furth, Scott and Crosby (1) found that the major abnormality consisted of a prolongation of the bleeding time. In seven of 11 patients given 1,500 to 6,500 ml. of dextran intravenously over a five day period the bleeding time was prolonged over 30 minutes. The concentration of platelets, clotting time, fibrinogen level, clot retraction time and prothrombin consumption test were not significantly affected by dextran. The prothrombin time was slightly abnormal. It appears unlikely that this finding explains the hemostatic defect because of the inconstancy and mild degree of the change. Adelson, Crosby and Roeder (2) found that smaller amounts of dextran were required to produce a prolonged bleeding time in dogs made thrombocytopenic by irradiation than in normal dogs. Comparable volumes of gelatin in the thrombocytopenic dogs did not prolong the