Urokinase treatment for arteriovenous fistulae declotting in dialyzed patients.

Urokinase treatment, previously employed with success in the declotting of deep venous thrombosis and arteriovenous shunts in patients undergoing regular dialytic treatment (RDT), was used in 23 cases of arteriovenous fistula thrombotic occlusion in 18 RDT patients. The treatment was successful in 65.2% of the cases without any negative side effects, except 1 case which may have developed a pulmonary embolism. Patients with severe hypofibrinolysis may need larger doses or may have a recurrence of the thrombotic episode. All therapeutic failures correlated with the presence of fibrosis or sclerosis.