PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - Ferrari, F AU - Vagnarelli, F AU - Gargano, G AU - Roversi, M F AU - Biagioni, O AU - Ranzi, A AU - Cavazzuti, G B TI - Early intracardiac thrombosis in preterm infants and thrombolysis with recombinant tissue type plasminogen activator AID - 10.1136/fn.85.1.F66 DP - 2001 Jul 01 TA - Archives of Disease in Childhood - Fetal and Neonatal Edition PG - F66--F69 VI - 85 IP - 1 4099 - http://fn.bmj.com/content/85/1/F66.short 4100 - http://fn.bmj.com/content/85/1/F66.full SO - Arch Dis Child Fetal Neonatal Ed2001 Jul 01; 85 AB - OBJECTIVES To determine the incidence of catheter related thrombosis and to test the efficacy of recombinant tissue type plasminogen activator (rt-PA) in preterm infants.STUDY DESIGN From January 1995 to December 1998, echocardiography was performed in the first few days of life in 76 very low birthweight (⩽ 1500 g) infants out of a total of 147 having an umbilical catheter placed. When intracardiac thrombosis was diagnosed, rt-PA infusion was performed.RESULTS Four infants (5%) developed an intracardiac thrombosis during the first few days of life. In three of them, rt-PA at a dose of 0.4–0.5 mg/kg in a 20–30 minute bolus led to dissolution of the clot. One patient received a three hour infusion after the bolus, at a dose of 0.1 mg/kg/h, with resolution of the thrombus. No systemic effects were observed after rt-PA infusion.CONCLUSIONS Early thrombosis may occur as a complication of umbilical catheterisation in preterm infants; early echocardiographic detection of this disorder allows complete, safe, and rapid lysis with rt-PA.