Thrombosed central venous catheters: restoring function with 6-hour urokinase infusion after failure of bolus urokinase

Nineteen central venous catheters with radiographically proven thrombotic occlusion failed to have function restored with a mean of 1.6 5000-unit boluses of urokinase per catheter. Catheters then underwent a 6-hour infusion of urokinase at 40,000 units per hour followed by repeat contrast injection and evaluation of function. Reduction in thrombus size occurred in all but one patient. Catheter function was restored in 15 patients. In two patients, thrombus dissolved but catheters remained occluded because of tip malposition. In the remaining two patients, catheter function was restored with an additional 6-hour infusion. No adverse reactions to the infusion were seen. After infusion catheters continued to function normally for a mean of 36.2 days. Five catheters rethrombosed, two of which responded to urokinase bolus instillation. Thrombosed catheters failing standard intracatheter bolus urokinase are generally salvaged with a 6-hour infusion of low-dose urokinase.