Fibrinolytic activity in obliterative arterial diseases

ABSTRACT

This study was designed with the aim of assessing the fibrinolytic status of patients suffering from obliterative arterial disease [OAD] as compared to healthy controls. Twenty-five patients with arterial obliterative diseases presented acutely were chosen for fibrinolytic assay and compared with 25 healthy controls. Twelve patients had critical ischemia and 15 patients were diabetics. Twenty-one patients had lower limb ischemia while, 4 patients had upper limb ischemia. The results of the study suggested that the fibrinolytic system is significantly impaired in cases of acute or severely ischemic patients when compared to controls. It was concluded that fibrinolytic assay could be added as a routine investigation in cases of critical ischemia and early onset atherosclerosis. Therapeutic options could be adjusted according to the fibrinolytic assay results: