Protein C activity in severely ill newborns with congenital heart disease.
Levels of protein C functional activity were studied in twenty-nine full-term infants with symptomatic congenital heart disease, who presented in the neonatal period. Protein C levels on admission ranged from < 10% to 61% (mean 37.7% S. D. 14.1%). Eight of the twenty-nine babies had protein C levels between 1.5 and > 3.0 S. D. below the normal neonatal mean with no parental evidence of familial deficiency. Of these infants with low protein C two developed thrombotic complications and four had evidence of coagulation factor consumption. Critically ill infants were over-represented in the group with low protein C. Severely ill newborn infants with protein C at or below the lower limit of the normal neonatal range may be at increased risk of either a consumptive coagulopathy or major thrombosis.
Macdonald
P D
PD
Department of Cardiology, Royal Hospital for Sick Children, Glasgow, U.K.
Gibson
B E
BE
Brownlie
J
J
Doig
W B
WB
Houston
A B
AB
D001779:Blood Coagulation Factors / Q000378:metabolism; D004211:Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation / Q000209:etiology; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000097:blood* / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D011446:Prospective Studies; D020151:Protein C Deficiency; D013927:Thrombosis / Q000209:etiology; D014813:Vitamin K Deficiency / Q000209:etiology
D001779:Blood Coagulation Factors