To the Editor:—
In a recent report of Ershler and Blaisdell (The Journal, September 13, p. 927) a massive hematuria was reported after the use of heparin. Heparin was administered by continuous intravenous drip for nine days. The coagulation time occasionally rose to three and four hours, but an effort was made to maintain a coagulation time of approximately one hundred and twenty minutes.Since heparin is now being widely used in various types of intravascular thromboses, such a report may deter some men from its deserved wide application. There is no evidence to show that a prolongation of the coagulation time over twenty minutes is ever necessary. Both the Canadian (Murray, G. D. W., and Best, C. H.: The Use of Heparin in Thrombosis, Ann. Surg.108:173 [Aug.] 1938) and the Swedish (Crafoord, Clarence, and Jorpes, Erick: Heparin as a Prophylactic Against Thrombosis, The Journal, June 28, p.