Assessment of thromboresistance of intravenous cannulae by 125I-fibrinogen scanning.

Assessment of potentially thromboresistant polymers and other materials has been impeded by the lack of a simple and safe test procedure in man. This report describes the use of a portable gamma radiation detector to assess accumulation of 125I-fibrinogen in thrombi related to intravenous cannulae. The method was first employed in 19 dogs and one sheep with FEP-Teflon forelimb intravenous cannulae which were scanned for up to 6 h after insertion. Results were compared with findings at post mortem examination. Eleven thrombi developed, nine of which emitted more than 3500 counts per minute; eight of these (89%) were detected by external scanning. The smallest thrombus detected weighed 0.7 mg. The method did not distinguish between thrombus and hematoma. Fifty FEP-Teflon cannulae were then studied in 39 patients after injection of 100 microCi 125I-fibrinogen. Cannulae and control sites were scanned twice daily and an independent blind clinical appraisal was performed by an experienced nurse. A rise in percentage uptake (count at a limb site/heart count X 100) of 20 or a difference of 40 between adjacent sites was regarded as a positive test. Scans became positive up to 30 h before clinical evidence of phlebitis was observed. The interval between insertion and thrombosis of both large and small cannulae detected by scanning was significantly shorter than that determined by clinical assessment (p less than 0.001). Physical signs of phlebitis were noted with 58% of large cannulae (16 or 18 gauge)and 33% of small cannulae (22 gauge) at the time of removal. Positive 125I-fibrinogen tests were obtained with 70% of large cannulae and 75% of small cannulae. 125I-fibrinogen scanning is a safe simple sensitive technique to detect thrombosis related to intravenous cannulae. The test should enable comparisons of different cannula materials in man.