A New Tolerance Test as a Guide to Clinical Heparin Therapy

It is a common clinical observation that the response to a specific dose of heparin in a retarding menstruum is unpredictable. The fallacy of using weight as a guide to dosage is well shown by the results here reported. To simplify the approach to a therapeutic regimen, it seemed advisable to assess all of the variables in an individual patient by the administration of a test dose of intravenous heparin. A dosage schedule is outlined, based on the response to the tolerance test, which proved accurate in 105 patients and requires the performance of only one coagulation time every 24 to 36 hours.