부산대학교 도서관

Activation of the blood coagulation system is thought to occur at the time of delivery. This is evidenced by the development of deep vein thrombosis, the formation of a blood clot in the deep veins of the legs, in the postpartum period. Coagulation occurs through the interaction of a number of factors, namely platelets, fibrinogen, factor VIII and plasminogen. It is not clear whether the balance of the clotting system is altered through a change in the production or the consumption of coagulation factors. New advances in blood analysis permit the measurement of markers in the blood that indicate clotting activity. The blood markers reveal the degree of fibrinolysis (mechanism of clot dissolving) and activation of platelets (cells that aggregate during clotting). These markers were used to study the changes in hemostatic activity experienced during delivery and immediately afterwards. Tests to measure 11 blood clotting functions were performed on 70 healthy pregnant women. There was an increase in activation of platelets and formation of fibrin, a stringy protein found in clots, at the time of delivery. The clotting system is activated immediately after the delivery of the placenta and this activation continues for the first three postpartum hours. Fibrinolysis is increased in the first three hours postpartum, followed by gradual decrease in activity during the next 48 hours. Women who do not experience a dramatic increase in fibrinolytic activity during the postpartum period may be at risk for deep vein thrombosis. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)