Acute Pulmonary Insufficiency the role of haemostatic, fibrinolytic and related mechanisms ; [during the IXth congress of the International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis in Stockholm, 1983, a conference on 'Post-traumatic organ insufficiency - Rol

During the IXth Congress of the International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis in Stockholm, 1983, a conference on "Post-traumatic organ insufficiency -Role of haemostatic, fibrinolytic and related mechanisms" was arranged. Some of the papers delivered at this conference concerned acute pulmonary insufficiency. The authors of these papers were later asked to contribute to this book. Acute pulmonary insufficiency (the adult respiratory distress syndrome) is a common and serious complication following trauma and in connection with sepsis. It is estimated that in the United States 150,000 patients suffer from this syndrome every year and that the mortality is 40 -50 per cent. It has been recognized for a long time that this syndrome is associated with disturbances in the haemostatic and fibrinolytic systems as well as other related systems. Factors putatively implicated in the pathogenesis include fibrin, fibrin degradation products, platelets, leucocytes, bradykinin and thromboxane. Heparin, dextran, corticosteroids and cyclooxygenase inhibitors have been tried, among other drugs, in the prophylaxis and treatment of this condition. This book consists of reviews of recent work and the present knowledge concerning the role of haemostatic, fibrinolytic and other related mechanisms in acute pulmonary insufficiency. The book has been sponsored by the Swedish government. My special thanks are due to Mrs Vera Inglis for skilled secretarial assistance. PREFACE CONTENTS BLOOD ALTERATIONS IN THE ADULT RESPIRATORY DISTRESS SYNDROME THROMBIN-INDUCED PULMONARY MICROEMBOLISM: MECHANISMS OF LUNG VASCULAR INJURY THROMBOXANE A 2 AS A MECHANISM OF NEUTROPHIL AND LEUKOTRIENE INDUCED LUNG PERMEABILITY PATHOPHYSIOLOGY AND TREATMENT OF PULMONARY AIR EMBOLISM IN SHEEP THE PLASMA KALLIKREIN-KININ SYSTEM IN MULTIPLE TRAUMA AND POST-TRAUMATIC SHOCK DISTRIBUTION PATTERNS OF MICROTHROMBI IN DISSEMINATED INTRAVASCULAR COAGULATION (DIC) BLOOD COAGULATION AND RELATED SYSTEMS IN THE PATHOGENESIS OF ACUTE RESPIRATORY DISTRESS REFERENCES