Incidence of Antithrombin Deficiency and Anti-Cardiolipin Antibodies After Severe Traumatic Brain Injury: A Prospective Cohort Study.

A reduction in antithrombin level and development of anti-cardiolipin antibodies were not rare immediately after severe TBI; these abnormalities were followed by an increase in in vitro clot strength due to elevations in fibrinogen concentration and platelet count. The quantitative relationships between the development of anti-cardiolipin antibodies and severity of TBI or clinical thromboembolic events deserve further investigation.