title: Protein C activity in severely ill newborns with congenital heart disease.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Royal Hospital for Sick Children, Glasgow, U.K.
authors.forename: P D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Macdonald
authors.forename: B E
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Gibson
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Brownlie
authors.forename: W B
authors.initials: WB
authors.lastname: Doig
authors.forename: A B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Houston
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D001779:Blood Coagulation Factors