Hemostatic defects in experimental obstructive jaundice.

To elucidate the etiology of hemostatic abnormalities in cases of obstructive jaundice, we occluded the bile duct of rats for one week and found that the moderately jaundiced rats exhibited a marked reduction in the value of Hepaplastin test and Thrombotest with minimum histological changes in liver. All other coagulation and fibrinolysis profiles were within normal limits. These findings exclude the occurrence of a hypercoagulable state or hypofibrinolytic state in the jaundiced rats due to bile duct occlusion. Similar results were obtained in rats with tube choledochostomy. The abnormalities were almost completely prevented by the daily parenteral administration of vitamin K. These observations suggest that malabsorption of vitamin K may be the sole etiologic factor producing hemostatic defects in case of uncomplicated obstructive jaundice.