Blood, 1950, Vol. 5, No. 10, pp. 964-972.
© 1950 American Society of Hematology, Inc.
THE ONE-STAGE PROTHROMBIN CONSUMPTION TEST
CLINICAL VALUE IN THE IDENTIFICATION OF THROMBOPLASTIN-DEFICIENCY DISEASES
MARIO STEFANINI M.D.1 and
WILLIAM H. CROSBY MAJOR, MC, AUS1
1 Ziskind Laboratories (Hematology Section) of the Joseph H. Pratt and New England Center
Hospitals and the Department of Medicine, Tufts College Medical School, Boston, Mass.
1. The results of the one-stage prothrombin consumption test, performed in a
group of patients with various abnormalities of the hemostatic mechanism, are
reported. It appears that the test accurately identifies those conditions such as
hemophilia and thrombocytopenic purpura which involve a deficiency of available
thromboplastin. Other conditions examined in which a hemorrhagic tendency
may develop (hypoprothrombinemia, polycythemia vera, pseudohemophilia)
showed a normal consumption of prothrombin. In the hypoprothrombinemia due
to dicumarol therapy, the limited amount of available prothrombin appears to
have been well utilized during the process of coagulation.
2. It appears that correction of the results obtained for accelerator activity of
serum is hardly ever necessary, since this effect is not of such magnitude as to
modify the results of the prothrombin consumption test to any extent. A formula
for such correction is given.
