Cefotan

Definition

Thrombolytic therapy is the use of drugs that dissolve blood clots.

Purpose

When a blood clot forms in a blood vessel, it may cut off or severely reduce blood flow to parts of the body that are served by that blood vessel. This can cause serious damage to those parts of the body. If the clot forms in an artery that supplies blood to the heart, for example, it can cause a heart attack. A clot that cuts off blood to the brain can cause a stroke. Thrombolytic therapy is used to dissolve blood clots that could cause serious, and possibly life-threatening, damage if they are not removed. Research suggests that when used to treat stroke, thrombolytic therapy can prevent or reverse paralysis and other problems that otherwise might result.

Thrombolytic therapy also is used to dissolve blood clots that form in tubes put into people's bodies for medical treatments, such as dialysis or chemotherapy.

Description

Thrombolytic therapy uses drugs called thrombolytic agents, such as alteplase (Activase), anistreplase (Eminase), streptokinase (Streptase, Kabikinase), urokinase (Abbokinase), and tissue plasminogen activator (TPA) to dissolve clots. These drugs are given as injections, only under a physician's supervision.

Recommended dosage

The physician supervising thrombolytic therapy decides on the proper dose for each patient. He or she will take into account the type of drug, the purpose for which it is being used, and in some cases, the patient's weight.

Precautions

For thrombolytic therapy to be effective in treating stroke or heart attack, prompt medical attention is very important. The drugs must be given within a few hours of the beginning of a stroke or heart attack. However, this treatment is not right for every patient who has a heart attack or a stroke. Only a qualified medical professional can decide whether a thrombolytic agent should be used. To increase the chance of survival and reduce the risk of serious, permanent damage, anyone who has signs of a heart attack or stroke should get immediate medical help.

Thrombolytic therapy may cause bleeding. Usually this is not serious, but severe bleeding does occur in some people. This is especially likely in older people. To lower the risk of serious bleeding, people who are given this drug should move around as little as possible and should not try to get up on their own unless told to do so by a health care professional. Following all the instructions of the health care providers in charge is very important.

Thrombolytic therapy may be more likely to cause serious bleeding in people who have certain medical conditions or have recently had certain medical procedures. Before being given a thrombolytic agent, anyone with any of these problems or conditions should tell the physician in charge about it:

• Blood disease or current or past bleeding problems in any part of the body
• Heart or blood vessel disease
• Stroke (recent or in the past)
• High blood pressure
• Brain tumor or other brain disease
• Stomach ulcer or colitis
• Severe liver disease
• Active tuberculosis
• Recent falls, injuries, or blows to the body or head
• Recent injections into a blood vessel
• Recent surgery, including dental surgery
• Tubes recently placed in the body for any reason
• Recent delivery of a baby.

In addition, anyone who has had a recent streptococcal (strep) infection should tell the physician in charge. Some thrombolytic agents may not work properly in people who have just had a strep infection, so the physician may want to use a different drug.

People who take certain medicines may be at greater risk for severe bleeding when they are given a thrombolytic agent.

Women who are pregnant should tell the physician in charge before being given a thrombolytic agent. There is a slight chance that a woman who is given thrombolytic therapy during the first 5 months of pregnancy will have a miscarriage. However, streptokinase and urokinase have both been used without problems in pregnant women.

After being treated with thrombolytic therapy, women who are breastfeeding should check with their physicians before starting to breastfeed again.

Side effects

Anyone who has fever or who notices bleeding or oozing from their gums, from cuts, or from the site where the thrombolytic agent was injected should immediately tell their health care provider.

People who are given thrombolytic therapy should also be alert to the signs of bleeding inside the body and should check with a physician immediately if any of the following symptoms occur:

• Blood in the urine
• Blood or black, tarry stools
• Constipation
• Coughing up blood
• Vomiting blood or material that looks like coffee grounds
• Nosebleeds
• Unexpected or unusually heavy vaginal bleeding
• Dizziness
• Sudden, severe, or constant headaches
• Pain or swelling in the abdomen or stomach
• Back pain or backache
• Severe or constant muscle pain or stiffness
• Stiff, swollen, or painful joints.

Other side effects of thrombolytic agents are possible. Anyone who has unusual symptoms during or after thrombolytic therapy should tell a health care professional.

Interactions

People who take certain medicines may be at greater risk for severe bleeding when they receive a thrombolytic agent. Anyone who is given a thrombolytic agent should tell the physician in charge about all other prescription or non-prescription (over-the-counter) medicines he or she is taking. Among the medicines that may increase the chance of bleeding are:

• Aspirin and other medicines for pain and inflammation
• Blood thinners (anticoagulants)
• Antiseizure medicines, such as Depakote (divalproex) and Depakene (valproic acid)
• Cephalosporins, such as cefamandole (Mandol), cefoperazone (Cefobid), and Cefotetan (Cefotan).

Also, anyone who has been treated with anistreplase or streptokinase within the past year should tell the physician in charge. These drugs may not work properly if they are given again, so the physician may want to use a different thrombolytic agent.

Key Terms

Arteries

Blood vessels that carry blood away from the heart to the cells, tissues, and organs of the body.

Blood clot

A hard mass that forms when blood gels.

Chemotherapy

Treatment of an illness with chemical agents. The term is usually used to describe the treatment of cancer with drugs.

Dialysis

A process used in people whose kidneys are not working well. By way of a filtering machine, dialysis separates waste and other useless materials from the blood -- a job the kidneys usually do.

Paralysis

Loss of the ability to move one or more parts of the body.

Stroke

A serious medical event in which blood flow to the brain is stopped. This may be because of a blood clot in an artery or because an artery has burst. Strokes may cause paralysis and changes in speech, memory, and behavior.

Further Reading

Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine. Gale Research, 1999.