Deep vein thrombosis treated with streptokinase or heparin. Follow-up of a randomized study. A prospective study of streptokinase and heparin in the treatment of deep vein thrombosis. Comparative results of thrombolysis treatment with rt-PA and urokinase: a pilot study. Long-term sequelae of calf vein thrombosis treated with heparin or low-dose streptokinase. Multicenter pilot study of the efficacy and safety of systemic rt-PA administration in the treatment of deep vein thrombosis of the lower extremities and/or pelvis. Short- and long-term results after thrombolytic treatment of deep venous thrombosis. Late results of treatment of deep vein thrombosis. Early results of thrombolysis vs anticoagulation in iliofemoral venous thrombosis. A randomised clinical trial. Tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA) vs heparin in deep vein thrombosis. Results of a randomized trial. Controlled study of thrombolytic therapy in deep vein thrombosis. Randomized controlled trial of tissue plasminogen activator in proximal deep venous thrombosis. Urokinase or heparin in the management of patients with deep vein thrombosis?
Twenty-seven patients with deep vein thrombosis whose primary therapy was randomized between streptokinase and heparin were reevaluated clinically and by ascending venography after a mean period of 7 months. Normal venograms were found in 6 (40%) of the streptokinase-treated patients and in 1 patient (8%) who had heparin therapy. Segmental valve preservation was found in 1 patient from each group. All patients with complete or partial valve preservation became asymptomatic. Vein recanalization without preservation of valves occurred in 18 patients: 8 (54%) of those on streptokinase, and 10 (83%) of those on heparin. At the time of follow-up, 11 of these 18 patients, including 8 who had had prior thrombosis, reported peripheral edema; the postphlebitic syndrome developed in 1. Factors favoring a good outcome of acute venous thrombosis were (1) no prior thrombotic disease, (2) localized thrombosis, and (3) prompt streptokinase therapy. In a prospective trial, 42 medical patients with a history of deep vein thrombosis of less than five days were allocated at random to treatment with streptokinase or heparin. Only patients with extensive thromboses were included. Streptokinase was given in a loading dose of 250 000 IU and a maintenance dose of 100 000 IU/hour for 4 days as a mean. Heparin was given in a loading dose of 15 000 IU and a maintenance dose of 20 000-50 000 IU/day. The therapeutic results were evaluated by phlebography. Significant thrombolysis occurred in 71.4% of 21 patients treated with streptokinase and in 23.8% of the 21 heparin-treated patients. Using the chi2-test for overall association, this difference was statistically highly significant (p = 0.002). Three patients in each treatment group experienced major bleeding, two in each group requiring blood transfusions. Minor bleeding and slight rise in temperature were encountered more often in the streptokinase than in the heparin group. It is concluded that patients with acute deep vein thrombosis with proximal extension of the thrombus beyond the calf veins should be offered a therapeutic trial with streptokinase. The aim of the following prospective study was to investigate whether patients benefited from locoregional lysis treatment of recent deep leg vein thrombosis after 1 year.
                The prospective study included 69 patients aged between 22 and 58 years, in whom recent lower leg vein and popliteal vein thromboses were diagnosed by phlebography. Patients were randomized to one of three treatment groups: one group was treated for a maximum of 7 days with full heparinization and daily dose of 20 mg rt-PA administered locoregionally over a period of 4 hours; a second group received 100,000 IU/h urokinase locoregionally for a maximum of 7 days, in addition to full heparinization; and in the third group (control group), intravenous heparin infusions after PTT constituted the only form of treatment. All patients were given phenprocoumon from day 7 and received compression treatment. Before treatment began and before the course of phenprocoumon started, phlebography and colour duplex sonography examinations were carried out. After 12 months, follow-up duplex sonography was conducted to evaluate the reflux times over the popliteal vein and the degree of patency of the deep leg veins.
                Complete lysis was achieved in 6 of 22 patients in the recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA) group and in 11 of 22 patients in the urokinase group. At follow-up examination after 12 months, there were serious post-thrombotic changes in 14 of 22 patients in the rt-PA group, in 9 of 22 patients in the urokinase group and in 15 of 22 patients in the group of patients who received no lysis treatment.
                Patients with recently formed thromboses in the lower leg and popliteal veins who underwent 7 days of locoregional lysis treatment with urokinase demonstrated significantly fewer clinical symptoms of post-thrombotic syndrome after 1 year than those who received locoregional treatment with rt-PA over a similar period or a control group treated with anticoagulants only. A prospective randomized study was performed to investigate the long-term sequelae of calf vein thrombosis (CVT) and correlate them to the success of the initial treatment. Thirty-six patients with symptomatic CVT, verified by venography, were treated with heparin or low-dose streptokinase (SK) combined with low-dose heparin. Venography was repeated after 1 week, and long-term follow-up was performed clinically and with foot volumetry after an average of 5 years. Since the low-dose SK regimen led to serious hemorrhagic side-effects in a parallel study, the present investigation was discontinued prematurely. The thrombolysis achieved was greater with SK but, since the initial thrombi were somewhat larger in this group, no significant difference in the average size of the thrombi after therapy could be displayed between the groups. The long-term sequelae and results of foot volumetry were also equal. Signs or symptoms of venous insufficiency were found in 37%, and foot volumetry showed deep venous insufficiency in 26% of the cases. There was a correlation between the hemodynamic change, as assessed by foot volumetry, and the venographic severity. This relation was stronger for the size of the thrombus after treatment than for the initial size. Thus, it seems important to limit the extent of a CVT in order to minimize the long-term sequelae, but administration of SK is not justified due to side-effects. Patients with symptoms of deep vein thrombosis for less than 10 days were treated with a standard dose of heparin. In the open label phase of the trial, 11 patients received 100 mg rt-PA on the first day and 50 mg on the subsequent day in an 8 hour infusion. In the double-blind phase, 8 patients were randomized to the same rt-PA regimen, 6 patients to an infusion of 50 mg rt-PA over 8 hours on days 1 and 2, and 7 patients to placebo infusions. The mean change in venographic score in all patients treated with rt-PA plus heparin is -3.8 units compared to -0.6 units in patients treated with heparin alone (p = 0.06). Bleeding complications classified as major were noted in 8/25 patients receiving the combined treatment. The goal of this study was to assess the short- and long-term efficacy of different thrombolytic therapy regimens in patients with leg or pelvic deep venous thrombosis (DVT).
                It is unclear whether locoregional or systemic thrombolysis is superior in treating acute leg DVT or even whether lysis is more effective than anticoagulation therapy in preventing postthrombotic syndrome.
                A total of 250 patients averaging 40 years of age with acute DVT were randomized into five groups to receive full heparinization (1,000 IU/h) and compression treatment, with four groups also administered locoregional tissue plasminogen activator (20 mg/day) or urokinase (100,000 IU/day) or systemic streptokinase (3,000,000 IU daily) or urokinase (5,000,000 IU daily). All groups then received anticoagulation and compression treatment for one year. Primary efficacy criteria included the change after one year in the number of closed vein segments and the occurrence of postthrombotic syndrome.
                Systemic thrombolytic therapy significantly reduced the number of closed vein segments after 12 months in patients with acute DVT compared with conventional treatment (p < 0.05). Postthrombotic syndrome also occurred with less frequency in systemically treated patients versus controls (p < 0.001). High-dose thrombolysis led to better rates of complete recanalization after seven days (p < 0.01) than locoregional lysis. However, 12 patients receiving thrombolysis (9 systemic, 3 local) suffered major bleeding complications; 9 patients on systemic treatment developed pulmonary emboli.
                Systemic thrombolytic treatment for acute DVT achieved a significantly better short- and long-term clinical outcome than conventional heparin/anticoagulation therapy but at the expense of a serious increase in major bleeding and pulmonary emboli. Given the inherent risks for such serious complications, systemic thrombolysis, although effective, should be used selectively in limb-threatening thrombotic situations. Twenty-two patients who had an acute episode of thrombosis in the deep veins of the legs were studied by a new technique of ascending functional cinephlebography 6 to 12 months after the episode of thrombosis.If the condition was diagnosed within 36 hours and the thrombus was dissolved rapidly valve function was preserved. When diagnosis was delayed there was a very great risk of permanent damage to the valves. catheter directed thrombolysis has been advocated for complete and rapid dissolution of iliofemoral deep venous thrombosis (DVT). The aim of our study is to compare, in a randomised trial, local thrombolysis and anticoagulation with anticoagulation alone in patients with iliofemoral DVT.
                a consecutive series of 35 eligible patients, were randomised to either catheter directed thrombolysis followed by anticoagulation or to anticoagulation alone. Clot lysis and deep venous reflux were assessed with ultrasound duplex and plethysmography after 6 months.
                complete data were available in the 18 and 17 patients randomised to thrombolysis and anticoagulation, respectively. At 6 months, patency rate was better in cases treated with thrombolysis [13/18 (72%) vs 2/17 (12%), p < 0.001]. Venous reflux was higher in-patients treated with anticoagulant [7 patients (41%) vs 2 (11%), p = 0.04].
                in the short-term patients treated with catheter directed thrombolysis obtained better patency and competence than those treated with standard anticoagulation. We performed a randomized trial comparing two dosing regimens of recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA) plus heparin vs heparin alone in the treatment of acute proximal deep vein thrombosis in 83 patients. Of 12 patients who received 0.5 mg/kg rt-PA plus heparin over 4 h, seven (58 percent) had greater than 50 percent lysis of the thrombus, compared with none of 12 who received placebo plus heparin (p = 0.002). Of 28 patients who received 0.5 mg/kg rt-PA over 8 h, repeated in 24 h, six (21 percent) had greater than 50 percent lysis, compared with two (7 percent) of 30 patients who received placebo plus heparin (p = 0.11). The 4-h infusion of rt-PA produced a 40 percent reduction and the 8-h infusion an 11 percent reduction in plasma fibrinogen concentration. At long-term follow-up, three (25 percent) of 12 patients in whom greater than 50 percent lysis was achieved had symptoms of the postphlebitic syndrome, compared with 19 (56 percent) of 34 patients in whom lysis was less than 50 percent (p = 0.07). nan To compare the efficacy and safety of recombinant human tissue-type plasminogen activator (rt-PA, supplied as Activase) with heparin alone or rt-PA plus heparin in the treatment of venographically documented proximal deep venous thrombosis (DVT) of the leg.
                Sixty-four patients underwent 65 randomizations to rt-PA alone (n = 36), rt-PA plus heparin (n = 17), or heparin alone (n = 12) in a prospective, multicenter, randomized, open-label trial, with efficacy assessed by a radiology panel unaware of treatment assignment. Patients randomly assigned to rt-PA received 0.05 mg/kg/hour for 24 hours via a peripheral vein, with a maximum dose of 150 mg. All patients then received heparin and warfarin for the remainder of the hospitalization. Follow-up venography was performed 24 to 36 hours after initiation of therapy.
                Complete or more than 50% lysis occurred in 10 (28%) patients treated with rt-PA, five (29%) patients with rt-PA plus heparin, and no patient treated with heparin. No lysis occurred in 16 (44%) patients treated with rt-PA plus heparin, and 10 (83%) patients who received heparin alone (p = 0.04). There was one major complication, a nonfatal intracranial hemorrhage in a patient who received rt-PA alone. At 7 to 10 days after initiation of treatment, the level of serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase nearly doubled among all patients, including those assigned to receive heparin alone.
                (1) rt-PA and rt-PA plus heparin cause more clot lysis than heparin alone; (2) the addition of heparin to rt-PA does not improve the lysis rate; (3) DVT treated with heparin is commonly associated with a rise in the transaminase level; (4) heparin does not increase the risk of bleeding from rt-PA therapy; and (5) alternative dosing regimens and modes of administration of rt-PA should be investigated to improve further its efficacy and safety in the treatment of acute DVT. Twenty patients with clinical signs of deep vein thrombosis of a duration not exceeding 72 hours, and with the condition confirmed phlebographically, were randomly allocated to one of two groups in a double-blind study. In group 1 the patients received urokinase in a low-dose regimen of 200 000 Ploug units during the first 24 hours, followed by infusion of heparin, 40 000 units daily during the next 5 days. Patients in group 2 received heparin only, 40 000 units daily for 6 days. The clinical course was assessed daily. When the infusion period was completed, the phlebography was repeated, and the results of the two examinations were compared with respect to extent of filling defects and the degree of non-filling of the deep veins. We found no superiority in the regimen consisting of urokinase preceding heparin infusion, compared with that of heparin infusion alone. Most of the patients improved clinically during the 6-day infusion period, but the degree of thrombosis, evaluated phlebographically, was unaltered or even deteriorated during the period in all patients except two. Overt bleeding was noted in 6 patients.