Radiology, Vol 152, 41-43, Copyright © 1984 by Radiological Society of North America
The systemic fibrinolytic effect of low-dose intraarterial streptokinase: observations in 12 patients. Work in progress
M Rubenfire, RD Blevins, PN Cascade, JB Maltzman and MJ Goldberg
The systemic hematological effects of low-dose intraarterial streptokinase
were studied in 12 patients with angiographic evidence of thrombosis.
Streptokinase was administered at 5,000 U/hr; this rate was increased in
the absence of clinical response or a systemic effect, which was defined as
a thrombin time greater than twice that of the control time and/or a
fibrinogen concentration less than 30% that of the control concentration.
Eight patients experienced a systemic effect with final infusion rates of
7,500 to 20,000 U/hr over 20 to 72 hours, while 4 patients had no evidence
of a systemic effect at 5,000 to 10,000 U/hr over 18 to 138 hours. A
systemic effect could not be predicted based on infusion rates or
durations, and the presence of a systemic effect was not predictive of
hemorrhagic complications or thrombolytic effect in our small series. These
results suggest that a systemic effect is frequently encountered with this
form of therapy and is of uncertain clinical relevance.
