[The influence of hydroxyethyl starch on postoperative alterations of blood coagulation (author's transl)].

The influence of hydroxyethyl starch (HES) on postoperative hypercoagulaemia was examined in a double blind study. One group of 10 patients received 500 ml HES during surgery and on the following three days. A comparable group received the same amount of isotonic saline solution. In some respects, hypercoagulaemia was significantly diminished in the HES-group. The diminution could, however, be mainly explained by the diluting effect of the plasma expander.