Urokinase in Pulmonary Embolism

Abstract

THE use of thrombolytic enzymes or their activators has been proposed as a treatment of thromboembolic diseases such as pulmonary embolism. Using streptokinase as the plasminogen activator, Johnson and McCarty¹ demonstrated the efficacy of thrombolytic therapy in the lysis of venous thrombi induced in human volunteers. Fletcher and his associates² showed in a small clinical trial that this form of therapy was safe and potentially effective. The use of streptokinase has been somewhat limited because of pyrogenicity of the various batches and the intense antigenicity to man.³ Recently, interest has been focussed on urokinase as an activator of thrombolytic enzyme. . . .