Nature of the Factor Concerned in Loss of Blood Coagulability of Bile Fistula Rats

Bleeding Tendency and Prothrombin Deficiency in Biliary Fistula Dogs: Effect of Feeding Bile and Vitamin K

“…This sluggish rise with bile alone is also in accord with our human cases (8,13), which indicate a recovery period of weeks with bile alone in contrast to a recovery period of days when the bile is supplemented with the vitamin. These findings differ somewhat from those of Greaves and Schmidt (7). They state that in the bile fistula rat the plasma prothrombin shows a marked rise after the brief period of 2 to 4 days of simple bile feeding.…”

“…These findings suggested that the biliary fistula dogs also suffer from vitamin K deficiency, a result of faulty absorption when bile is excluded from the gut. That this explanation is correct is indicated by a preliminary report of Greaves and Schmidt (7) on rats. Important confirmation is also supplied by our successful treatment of jaundiced human bleeders with vitamin K (8).…”

Observations on the Plasma Prothrombin and the Effects of Vitamin K in Patients With Liver or Biliary Tract Disease 1

“…These amounts were equivalent to from 12 to 24 grams. Concomitantly, from 2 to 4 grams of animal bile salts were always given to aid in the absorption of the fat-soluble vitamin (18 vitamin K and bile salts both before and after operation, while the remainder were untreated.…”