A study of disseminated intravascular coagulation with the ethanol gelation test in severely injured patients.

The role of intravascular coagulation in severely injured patients was studied by the ethanol gelation test (EGT). Increased frequency of positive EGT's was observed following trauma, the highest on the fifth posttraumatic day (25 %). A positive test did not correlate with the quantity of blood received and the severity of the trauma. Patients with higher haematocrit, serum protein and platelet values showed a positive test more frequently.