[Prevention of postoperative thrombo-embolism using a new principle of drug treatment (author's transl)].
Slowing of venous return is, in addition to endothelial damage and hypercoagulability, one of the decisive factors in the development of thrombi. This is especially so in operated patients with loss of vessel tone caused by general anaesthesia. The radiofibrinogen test was used on a group of 106 patients to check whether the administration of dihydroergotamine, which produces vasoconstriction particularly of the venous channels, can bring about a reduction in the incidence of postoperative thrombo-embolism. There was a statistically (variance analysis) highly significant difference in the average thrombosis rate between treated (8.8%) and untreated (34.7%) patients. In patients especially at risk, the rate was more than three times as high in the untreated group (39.5% and 12.9%, respectively). In low-risk patients the rate actually dropped to zero (from 20%).