Experimental pulmonary embolism with electrically activated autologous blood.

Pulmonary thromboembolism is one of the most frequent causes of death in our days. Notwithstanding the great efforts made in clinical and experimental medicine there has been no success as yet in filling the existing gaps in the understanding of pathophysiology of this disease. The blood electrically activated in vitro by direct current reacts like an endogenic thrombogenic substance. On the condition that such a substance is injected into the inferior vena cava, the clot is introduced into the pulmonary circulation and gives rise to pulmonary thromboembolism of a varying degree, each depending on the electrically activated blood injected. In the animal experiment it has thus become feasible, under standardized and reproducible conditions, to produce severe thromboembolism or chronic microembolism with subsequent hypertrophy of the right ventricle. The object of this contribution is a demonstration of a new, easy, and effective method for the induction of pulmonary embolism, which can be treated by thrombolysis.