A NEW APPROACH IN THE TREATMENT OF PERIPHERAL ARTERIAL OCCLUSIONS: DEFIBRINATION WITH ARVIN.

Therapeutical defibrination induced by a 10 day's arvin infusion period caused a more pronounced and more sustained decrease of blood viscosity as compared with SK. Simultaneously an increase of the rest flow of the calf and of the foot and an improvement of the efficiency of the collateral circulation—as measured by reactive hyperemia—could be observed in patients with peripheral arterial occlusions even in stage III to IVa. Therefore therapeutical defibrination with arvin might be an effective new therapy in patients with ischemic rest pain because of multiple arterial occlusions when thrombolysis with SK or surgical arterial reconstruction is not indicated or not possible. In thrombolytic therapy with SK, arvin was superior to heparin in the change over phase from SK to phenprocoumon in respect to its anticoagulatory effect. In the dose used, however, there was not a calculable risk of bleeding. Further investigations will show whether a reduced dosage of arvin is sufficient anticoagulatory as well as safe also in combination with SK. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]