Clot in Transit: Therapy via Peripherally Inserted Central Catheter Line

Abstract

There are currently no definitive guidelines for the optimal management of clots in transit (CIT) due to a distinct lack of quality research to suggest a recommended therapy. The three main treatment modalities that are commonly utilized for pulmonary emboli (PE) (a sequela of CIT) are thrombolysis, pulmonary embolectomy, and anticoagulation alone. The current recommendation for severe PE with hemodynamic collapse is to consult cardiothoracic surgery for clot retrieval. One ongoing area of research involves the use of catheter-directed application of thrombolytic agents as it may have similar outcomes to the systemic application while minimizing the risk of bleeding events due to a lower dose of medication used. We report the case of a patient in whom, by taking advantage of an already placed peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) line, tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) was successfully delivered at a localized site near the clot for active thrombolysis while only causing minimal adverse effects related to recent laminectomy/fasciectomy and foraminotomy compared to what may have been observed with systemic tPA administration.