ABSTRACT
Intravascular clotting i s now known to follow surgical procedures. Altemeier 's group cultured L forms from the thrombi of 50 patients , whereas 4 1 persons without thromboembolic disease gave only negative cultures .2 Five patients with thromboembolic attack gave both clinical ancl laboratory evidence of encephalomeningitis . L-forms circulating in the blood werc demonstrated in several general classes of thromboembolic disease, a common type being pulmonary emboli occurring within 8 to 12 days after surgery. Many patients experienced recurrent cpisodes of thrombi formation in veins or arteries . ]
Some o f the thrombi-associated organisms dcmonstrated i n I'itro interference with the antico agulant ability of heparin. This would explain why patients may need high doses of heparin to lengthen the coagulation time of the blood to a normal level, and why antibiotic administration can reduce the need for heparin.
