Short-term response to thrombolytic therapy in deep venous thrombosis: predictive value of venographic appearance.

To determine whether the response to thrombolytic therapy for lower-extremity deep venous thrombosis (DVT) can be predicted from the venographic appearance, 139 thrombosed venous segments were analyzed. Initial and follow-up venograms were obtained in 62 patients randomized to 24-hour infusions of recombinant human-tissue-type plasminogen activator (rTPA) (n = 34), rTPA plus heparin (n = 16), or heparin alone (n = 12). Segmental response to therapy was evaluated by means of blinded review of the paired venograms. The response (50%-100% lysis) to rTPA alone was significantly greater in venous segments involved with nonobstructive thrombi than in those with obstructive thrombi (12 of 23 vs five of 51; P less than .005). Results were similar for the combination of rTPA and heparin (five of six vs six of 30, P less than .01). No significant difference was seen in the response of either obstructive or nonobstructive thrombus to heparin alone. Thrombotic tails responded substantially (greater than 50% decrease in size) to rTPA with or without heparin in 22 of 24 patients. The venographic appearance of DVT appears to help in predicting the therapeutic response to thrombolytic therapy.

RCT Entities:   Population Interventions Outcomes