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J Edney

Publications and source records attributed to J Edney.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

Obstructed central venous catheters. Restoring function with a 12-hour infusion of low-dose urokinase.

Thrombotic obstruction frequently prohibits infusion through or withdrawal of blood from central venous catheters and can occur in conjunction with symptomatic thrombosis of the subclavian vein. Thirty catheters were radiographically proved to be obstructed by thrombus and had not responded to at least one instillation of 5000 units of urokinase. All catheters were treated with a 12-hour infusion of urokinase at the rate of 40,000 units/hour. The obstructing thrombus was either eliminated or reduced in size in all instances and full function was restored in all but one catheter. No bleeding complications were seen. Six patients with obstructed catheters also had symptoms of subclavian vein thrombosis. All patients with symptoms of subclavian vein obstruction became asymptomatic on anticoagulant therapy even though no attempt at dissolving the thrombus obstructing the subclavian vein was made. A 12-hour infusion of low doses of urokinase can safely salvage function of obstructed catheters that otherwise may require replacement. Patients with concomitant subclavian vein thrombosis become asymptomatic on anticoagulant therapy without need to dissolve the obstructing thrombus.

Catheterization, Central Venous↗

Hickman catheter-induced thoracic vein thrombosis. Frequency and long-term sequelae in patients receiving high-dose chemotherapy and marrow transplantation.

One hundred sixty-eight bone marrow transplant recipients and 49 patients who received high-dose chemotherapy were evaluated for symptomatic thrombosis after Hickman catheter placement. The timing of thrombotic complications was different between these two groups, with the transplant group having a significantly lower thrombus-free survival by 28 days after catheter placement. By 100 days after placement the thrombus-free survival rates of the two groups were similar. The platelet count at time of catheter placement was significantly lower in the nontransplant group, and the thrombus-free survival was longer in patients whose catheter was placed when their platelet count was less than 150,000, suggesting that thrombocytopenia delays thrombotic complications. Placement of two Hickman catheters resulted in a 12.9% thrombosis rate (21 of 162 patients) and was significantly more likely to be associated with thrombosis than placement of one catheter. Long-term follow-up evaluation of patients treated without successful fibrinolytic therapy showed no residual symptoms of venous obstruction. In those patients presenting with concomitant catheter obstruction resulting from thrombosis, low-dose fibrinolytic therapy was successful in restoring catheter function 70% of the time. Placement of two Hickman catheters is associated with an inordinate incidence of thrombosis. Thrombocytopenia at the time of catheter placement may delay this complication. Thrombotic catheter obstruction can be treated successfully with low-dose fibrinolytic therapy. Even without fibrinolytic therapy, catheter-induced subclavian vein thrombosis rarely causes long-term disability.

Bone Marrow Transplantation↗

Thrombocytopenia and laboratory evidence of disseminated intravascular coagulation after shunts for ascites in malignant disease.

Twenty-eight peritoneovenous shunts were placed to relieve ascites in 26 patients with a variety of underlying malignancies. Nine of the patients had documented liver metastases and hyperbilirubinemia. Severe thrombocytopenia with laboratory evidence of disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) occurred in four of these nine patients following shunt placement. Relative or absolute thrombocytopenia was also commonly observed in this series. Other complications included pulmonary edema, ventricular tachycardia, culture-negative fever, pneumonia, and late shunt occlusion. Good palliation, with relief of abdominal pain or respiratory compromise, was achieved in 57% of these patients. Our experience suggests that DIC following peritoneovenous shunts in patients with malignancy may be more common than previously reported, although not as frequent as the incidence of DIC associated with shunt placement for cirrhotic ascites. Platelet aggregation or Factor X activation by ascitic fluid and failure of the liver to inactivate activated clotting factors may play a role in this coagulopathy. Because of the risk of potentially fatal DIC, palliative peritoneovenous shunts should be considered with caution in patients with liver metastases and hyperbilirubinemia.

Adult↗