Evaluation of the soluble fibrin monomer complexes and other coagulation parameters in obstetric patients.

The soluble fibrin monomer complexes (SFMC) in 154 obstetric patients with possible disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) were evaluated in SDS polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) after precipitation with B-alanine. Other coagulation tests were performed on these patients. The patients were classified into three groups: A) patients with a clinical history of DIC (6 cases); B) patients with only the analytical alterations of DIC (35 cases); and C) patients who showed pathological obstetric diagnoses but without a clinical nor analytical history of DIC (113 cases). In the three groups, well-defined bands of less electrophoretic mobility than fibrinogen were obtained. A significant increase in the second electrophoretic band was found in group A (5.1 per cent) when compared to group C (0.5 per cent). The second electrophoretic band appeared in greater proportion in the group of patients with an unfavorable clinical evolution.