Comparison of Antithrombin III and Pentoxifylline Treatments in Gram Negative Sepsis Patients Developing Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation

Objective:

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of antithrombin III (AT III) and pentoxifylline treatments on the gram negative septic patients with disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC).

Method:

For six days after plasma AT III activity dropped lower than 80% in Gram-patients who developed DIC were treated with AT III (90-120 IU/kg/day in 6 hours) or pentoxifylline (1.5 mg/kg/h in 6 hours) Fibrinogen, FDP, D-dimer, complete blood count, AT III activity, and DIC scores were calculated and recorded.

Results:

The coagulation tests, AT III activity and FDP started to improve from the second day of treatment with both treatments (p<0.05). D-Dimer started to decrease on the second day of treatment with pentoxifylline (p<0.001) and fourth day of AT III treatment (p<0.05). Fibrinogen levels decreased on the second day of pentoxifylline treatment (p<0.05) and on the last day of AT III treatment (p<0.001). DIC scores started to decrease on the last day of treatment with AT III treatment (p<0.001) and on the third day of treatment with pentoxifylline (p<0.05).

Conclusion:

Both ATIII and pentoxifylline treatments had positive effects on fibrinogen, FDP, D-Dimer, AT III activity and DIC scores in patients with Gram-negative sepsis who developed DIC.

Neglected Necrotizing Fasciitis - A Rare Complication of Spinal Anaesthesia

Necrotizing Fasciitis (NF) is a rare, rapidly progressive severe bacterial soft tissue infection with a high mortality rate. NF classically involves the trunk, groin/perineum, lower limbs, and postoperative wound sites. NF secondary to spinal anaesthesia in a young postpartum female is extremely rare. Here we are describing a young postpartum female who underwent cesarean section for the delivery of child but developed NF of the back starting from the site of spinal needle insertion. She was referred to our center after 21 days of surgery with extensive NF. She underwent serial debridement but succumbed to septic shock secondary to gram negative and fungal sepsis.