Fibrinolysis - primary or secondary: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia

P Fibrinolysis is a normal body process. It prevents blood clots that occur naturally from growing and causing problems.
P Primary fibrinolysis refers to the normal breakdown of clots.
P Secondary fibrinolysis is the breakdown of blood clots due to a medical disorder, medicine, or other cause. This may cause severe bleeding.

T Causes
P Blood clots form on a protein called fibrin. The breakdown of fibrin (fibrinolysis) can be due to:
- Bacterial infections
- Cancer
- Intense exercise
- Low blood sugar
- Not enough oxygen to tissues
P Your health care provider may give you medicines to help blood clots break down more quickly. This may be done if a blood clot causes a heart attack.

T Alternative Names
P Primary fibrinolysis; Secondary fibrinolysis

T Images
- Blood clot formation
- Blood clots

T References
P Schafer AI. Hemorrhagic disorders. In: Goldman L, Schafer AI, eds. Goldman's Cecil Medicine. 25th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier Saunders; 2016:chap 175.
P Weitz JI. Hemostasis, Thrombosis, fibrinolysis, and cardiovascular disease. In: Mann DL, Zipes DP, Libby P, Bonow RO, Braunwald E, eds. Braunwald's Heart Disease: A Textbook of Cardiovascular Medicine. 10th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier Saunders; 2015:chap 82.
P Weitz JI. Overview of hemostasis and thrombosis. In: Hoffman R, Benz EJ Jr., Silberstein LE, Heslop HE, Weitz JI, Anastasi J, eds. Hematology: Basic Principles and Practice. 6th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier Churchill Livingstone; 2013:chap 124.

T Review Date 2/1/2016
P Updated by: Todd Gersten, MD, Hematology/Oncology, Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute, Wellington, FL. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Isla Ogilvie, PhD, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.

