[Thrombolytic therapy of deep venous thrombosis with rt-PA]

Recombinant human tissue-type plasminogen activator (rt-PA) was given to seven patients with phlebographically documented deep vein thrombosis at a dose of 60-120 mg/day (0.71-1.76 mg/kg body weight/24 h) for 2 to 4 days. rt-PA induced evident recanalization in 6 of 7 cases. The lowest here used dose of 0.71 mg/kg/24 h was thrombolytical highly effective, but a dose of 1.4 mg/kg/24 h and over was accompanied by bleeding from venous puncture sites. Coagulation analysis showed no obvious decrease of fibrinogen, while euglobulin clot lysis time and thrombelastography demonstrated the systemic fibrinolytic activity. Thus, therapy with rt-PA may represent an alternative and effective therapeutic procedure in treatment of venous thrombosis. The initial results make a case for expanded investigational use of rt-PA in patients with deep vein thrombosis to clarify conceivable advantages of therapy with this fibrin selective thrombolytic agent.