CONTINUOUS LOCAL INTRAARTERIAL INFUSION AFTER PROLONGED ARTERIAL STASIS IN THE FINGERS AND TOES

Seven patients with trauma to eight digits and one toe went untreated for arterial stasis, with subsequent development of posttraumatic chan ges in skin coloration. In two patients involving two digits, a daily dose of 2,000 ml containing 240,000 U urokinase, 80-mu-g prostaglandin E1, and 10,000 U heparin in lactated Ringer's solution was administer ed by intravenous infusion for 10 consecutive days; one of the two dig its became necrotic. In all subsequent patients, a daily dose of 80 ml containing 240,000 U urokinase, 40-mu-g prostaglandin E1, 10,000 U (m aximum) heparin, and low-molecular-weight dextran was administered by continuous local intraarterial infusion for 10 consecutive days. These seven extremities survived, even in the case of two digits and one to e with over 50 hr of arterial stasis. We believe that revascularizatio n of extremities following prolonged periods of arterial stasis may be possible by means of continuous local intraarterial infusion of antit hrombotic agents.