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The rate of digestion of fibrin was measured by an isotopic technique in 140 blood samples of differing fibrinogen concentration; the assessment of fibrinolytic activity thus obtained was compared with a standard method of measurement, the dilute whole blood lysis time. The lysis time was related exponentially to the fibrinolytic activity as measured by the isotopic technique, and further was influenced markedly by alteration in the plasma fibrinogen concentration. The relevance of these observations to the use of lysis time methods for the measurement of fibrinolytic activity is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

When the rate of fibrinolysis was measured by an isotopic technique, it was found that the amount of fibrin digested after incubation for three hours correlated closely with the overall rate of the digestion process. It is suggested that, using an isotopic technique, estimation of fibrin digestion after three hours' incubation provides a useful method for measuring the fibrinolytic activity of blood. A recommended technique is described and its advantages are discussed briefly. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Common femoral endarterectomy with profundaplasty has become accepted as a useful operation in the treatment of ischemic arterial disease which is the result of superficial femoral occlusion. However, objective assessment of its long-term postoperative hemodynamic effects has not been reported. This study determines the effect of this operation on the resting pressure index, the walking distance on the treadmill, the fall in postexercise ankle pressure, and the recovery time. Measurements were made just before operation and 1 month later in 20 patients with severe claudication and superficial femoral occlusion. Sixteen patients were available for follow-up at 1 year. These patients were matched according to the resting pressure index to another group of 20 patients with superficial femoral occlusion followed up conservatively. The results indicate that common femoral endarterectomy with profundaplasty improves the distal perfusion pressure and, by inference, flow, which provides strong objective confirmation of the clinical impression that this operation is of value and help in determining its place in the management of severe lower limb ischemia.

Velocity tracings obtained with a Doppler ultrasound probe located over the common femoral artery have been evaluated as to their ability to predict the state of the proximal aortoiliac segment. Aortography was used as the assessor of the extent of aortoiliac disease. Five parameters of the tracings sensitive only to aortoiliac disease were submitted to miltivariate analysis. The probability of the aortoiliac segment having greater or less than 10% stenosis was calculated. In 86% of limbs, a high probability of diagnostic value and practical use resulted.