In vitro Effect of Penicillin on Prothrombin Activity of Bovine Plasma

Abstract

Moldavsky, Hasselbrock and Caterno^1,2 have recently reported that both oral and intramuscular injections of penicillin consistently shorten the coagulation time of normal blood and produce a non-retractile clot. They also observed decreased bleeding-times in patients receiving penicillin. J. H. Lewis³ investigated more thoroughly the effect of penicillin on blood coagulation in both normal and hæmophiliac subjects. In vitro tests indicated that oral and intramuscular administration of penicillin did not have any effect on the blood-coagulating mechanism in either, in spite of high plasma penicillin levels. His in vitro tests to determine the effect of penicillin at various concentrations on the coagulation time of normal and hæmophiliac blood showed no change on the coagulation time.