Pharmacologic treatment of catheter-related thrombus in pediatrics.

Venous and arterial catheters are being used with increasing frequency in pediatric populations. As part of the comprehensive management of these catheters, nurses need to be aware of the more common catheter-related thrombus problems. An understanding of pharmacologic treatment using Streptokinase and Urokinase for thrombus in central lines, hemodialysis grafts, and umbilical artery catheters can help nurses develop protocols to care for patients with these devices. The appropriate use of thrombolytic therapy can restore function to many catheters thereby saving the patient the cost and morbidity associated with removal and replacement of a dysfunctional catheter.