Platelet aggregation in traumatic spinal cord injury

Abstract

Study design: Collagen-induced platelet aggregation and platelet count of ten paraplegic patients (four females, six males, aged 16 ± 42 years) with traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) (posttraumatic 12 ± 48 weeks) and of ten age-matched healthy volunteers (control group; ®ve females, ®ve males, aged 18 ± 37 years) were investigated. Objectives: Investigation of platelet aggregation in the whole blood of the patients with SCI. Setting: Ankara/Turkey. Methods: Platelet aggregation was evaluated by impedance technique using Chrono Log Model 560 WB aggregometer in whole blood. Platelet count was determined by Medonic Cell Analyser 610. Results: Maximal intensity of collagen-induced platelet aggregation of the patients was 18.50+8.28 ohm (mean+SD) and of the controls was 7.60+4.25 ohm. Maximal rate of collagen-induced aggregation of platelets from the patients was 3.98+1.59 ohm/min, maximal rate of aggregation of platelets from the controls was 1.57+1.01 ohm/min. Platelet counts of the patients and controls were 290 500+50 357/mm 3 and 273 000+48 343/mm 3 respectively. It was determined that both maximal rate (P50.001) and maximal intensity (P50.01) of collagen-induced platelet aggregation of the patients were signi®cantly higher than those of the controls. There was no signi®cant di erence between the two groups in respect to platelet counts. Conclusion: Collagen-induced platelet aggregation of patients with traumatic SCI 12 ± 48 weeks after the trauma was signi®cantly higher than that of the controls. Our results indicate that increased tendency of platelet aggregation, which is probably induced by free radicals, may have a great impact on the late thromboembolic complications reported in patients with traumatic SCI.

Hormonal And Immunological Changes in Mice after Spinal Cord Injury

“…Additional reasons for mild anemia in chronic patients include nutritional, gastrointestinal, and autonomic dysreflexia-related problems (Perkash and Brown, 1986). No significant change in platelet numbers was found in Tx mice, which is similar to findings in SCI patients (Fujii et al, 1992;Ersoz et al, 1999).…”

Impaired circadian variations of haemostatic and fibrinolytic parameters in tetraplegia

“…In addition, the morning peak in PAI‐1 levels (present study) or euglobulin clot lysis time (Winther et al , 1992) was apparently more prominent in tetraplegia than control subjects. Although our study subjects had normal platelet counts (Table I) and no circadian variation was present (data not shown), platelet aggregation was apparently higher in the morning (Dalby et al, 2000) and more marked among spinal cord injured patients (Ersoz et al , 1999). Whether an increased platelet activity might be an additional risk factor of DVT in tetraplegia (Kahn et al , 1996) is as yet unknown.…”

Impact of coagulation in the development of thromboembolic events in patients with spinal cord injury

“…15 Patients with SI present frequently dehydration and secondary increase of blood viscosity that can complicate the stasis and local hypoxia. 17 The higher the degree of muscle paralysis, the greater the tendency of slowing the blood flow, because of the loss of compressive effect of the muscle pumping, explaining higher occurrence of DVT in flaccid paralysis. 18 Boudaoud et al (1997) simulated venoestase state in upper and lower limbs in 15 patients with paraplegia or tetraplegia, up to 6 months of SCI, compared with 10 normal volunteers.…”