Assessing the Outcome of Systemic Tissue Plasminogen Activator for the Management of Venous and Arterial Thrombosis in Pediatrics

Abstract

This study sought to ascertain the outcomes of systemic thrombolytic therapy used in a cohort of infants and children. Complete thrombus resolution was achieved in 81% of patients with arterial thromboses (n=16) compared to 0% of children with venous thromboses (n=10). A major bleeding rate of 11.5% occurred across the entire cohort (n=3, all arterial). In our cohort, no patient with venous thromboembolism achieved complete resolution of their thrombosis after thrombolytic therapy. More cohort studies reporting the outcome of uniform protocols of thrombolytic therapy in children are required.