Results of a recently instituted programme of thrombolytic therapy in acute lower limb ischaemia

Twenty-eight patients with acute lower limb ischaemia received low dose intra-arterial thrombolytic therapy over a 2-year period. Eighteen patients received streptokinase and ten patients received recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rTPA). Indications included arterial thromboemboli and graft failures. Mean ischaemic times were similar in both groups. Treatment time to achieve lysis was significantly less with rTPA (P less than 0.01). Subsequent vascular procedures, including angioplasty or reconstruction, were undertaken in 36 per cent of patients. Arterial puncture site bleeding occurred in eight (29 per cent) patients. Three (11 per cent) patients suffered rethrombosis after initial successful lysis. All rethromboses were successfully lysed with rTPA. There were two major amputations. Five (18 per cent) patients died, all lytic failures in the streptokinase treatment group. There were no cerebral haemorrhagic events and no patient died as a result of thrombolytic therapy. Good clinical outcome was obtained in nine of 18 patients treated with streptokinase and in nine of ten patients treated with rTPA. Intra-arterial thrombolysis provides effective therapy with high rates of limb salvage and a low mortality rate. This study suggests that rTPA may be a more effective agent, causing less morbidity, than streptokinase.