Urokinase thrombolytic therapy of pulmonary embolism in neurosurgically treated patients.
Pulmonary embolism (PE) is a severe complication in neurosurgery. The best treatment of PE is thrombolytic therapy, but the presence of either intracranial neoplasm or recent neurosurgical procedures is considered a major contraindication to this therapy. We have used urokinase thrombolytic therapy in nine of our patients with severe PE that occurred from 7 to 34 days after a neurosurgical operation. All patients survived. No intracranial hemorrhage occurred. We also advocate thrombolytic therapy for severe PE in patients who were recently operated on by neurosurgical procedure.
Severi
P
P
Department of Neurosurgery, Galliera Hospital, Genoa, Italy.
Lo Pinto
G
G
Poggio
R
R
Andrioli
G
G
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003399:Craniotomy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007796:Laminectomy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011655:Pulmonary Embolism / Q000188:drug therapy*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015912:Thrombolytic Therapy; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014568:Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017287:Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt
D014568:Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator