A Method for Assessing Clot Lysis.

Clot lysis methods are used extensively in fibrinolytic work both for research into the physiology of the fibrinolytic system and for assay and standardization of enzymes. The following is a description of a simple method for measuring partial clot lysis using cheap and easily available apparatus and reagents. The method was first described by Blix in 1962 and has been adapted to suit the apparatus available and the subject being investigated. The principle is as follows: a fibrin clot containing red blood cells is made and exposed to a fibrinolytic enzyme. As the clot lyses, red cells are released from it and the amount of lysis occurring in a given time can be found by measuring the number of cells released.