Premium
Lntravascular Red Cell Aggregation in Newborn Infants with Infections
Author(s) -
ARAJÄRVI T.,
ZlLLlACUS H.
Publication year - 1952
Publication title -
acta pædiatrica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.772
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1651-2227
pISSN - 0803-5253
DOI - 10.1111/j.1651-2227.1952.tb17029.x
Subject(s) - blood stream , erythrocyte sedimentation rate , medicine , erythrocyte aggregation , blood flow , red cell , red blood cell , conjunctiva , pathology , sedimentation , biology , hematocrit , paleontology , sediment
Summary The blood stream can be directly observed in the conjunctival blood vessels with the aid of a stereo‐microscope at 40–100 x magnification. When this method of observation was applied in a large number of newborn infants during the first days or weeks of life it was noted that the blood stream in the small vessels and capillaries of the conjunctiva was even and ungranulated in completely healthy children. The red cells flowed along in even, single or double lines in both capillaries and para‐Capillaries. In the larger vessels, the blood stream was even and ungranulated. However, as soon as even very slight prodromal signs of infection appeared, a slight rise in the temperature, a lowering of the general condition, vomiting or abnormality of the stools ; for instance, the circulating red cells began to form into clumps. In many cases, aggregation of the red cells was the first sign of infection to appear. The aggregating tendency was more pronounced when the infection was severe than when it was mild. The aggregation phenomenon was characterized by the fact that, in capillaries and paracapillaries, colourless spaces were observable between erythrocyte “carriages” of varying lengths. In vessels of larger calibre the blood stream was granulated. The rate of flow was decreased in all the vessels studied. As it is known from earlier investigations that the degree of red cell aggregation bears a certain relationship to the increased sedimentation rate of the red cells, intravascular aggregation in infants with infection may be regarded as a sedimentation reaction directly observed in vivo . Instead of using the microsedimentation reaction an early diagnosis of infection can be made by direct observation of the blood stream with a view to detecting the possible presence of red cell aggregation. This also holds good for premature babies. Cases of erythroblastosis foetalis and cases with extensive traumatic lesions (e.g. parturition injuries) form exceptions to this rule since they also display intravascular red cell aggregation. Fifteen cases are described.