Pulmonary embolism in stroke: prevention by early heparinization of venous thrombosis detected by iodine-125 fibrinogen leg scans.
During an 8-month study of stroke patients, a 9% incidence of pulmonary embolism and a 1.5% incidence of thrombophlebitis was found among hemiparetic patients undergoing intensive rehabilitation after being medically stabilized. Patients were usually studied 10 days to 2 weeks after the onset of stroke. During the next 18 months, 141 subsequent patients were studied with 125I-fibrinogen uptake leg scans, disclosing a 29% incidence of deep venous thrombosis. Venograms were obtained in 28 patients; clots in 25 patients were confirmed in normal locations on the fibrinogen scan, and there was 1 false negative and 2 false positives. The subsequent 14 patients with clot were anticoagulated on the basis of the fibrinogen scan alone. Early anticoagulation of clinically silent leg thrombi prevented any pulmonary emboli.
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002561:Cerebrovascular Disorders / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D005340:Fibrinogen; D006493:Heparin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011655:Pulmonary Embolism / Q000150:complications / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D013924:Thrombophlebitis / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy*
D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes; D005340:Fibrinogen; D006493:Heparin