[Staphylococcal plasmacoagulase. III. Use of thrombelastography to study the properties of extracellular staphylocoagulase].

A method of thromboelastography was applied to the study of the influence of supernatents of the S. aureus and S. epidermidis culture fluid on the process of blood coagulation. S. aureus No. 209 P, No. 8325-1 strains and mutants of the No. 209 P strain, resistant to proflavin induced a distinct shortening of the reaction time. In using S. epidermidis (strains D5/240 and D-5/48) and also in control experiments (plasma and medium) no shortening of the reaction period was observed. The data obtained permitted to recommend the use of thromboelastographic method for the purpose of detection of coagulase-positive staphylococcus strains and for the assessment of relative staphylocoagulase activity.