Rodney D. Raabe, MD is the Principal Investigator for a new research trial being conducted at Providence Medical Research Center. This is a trial primarily sponsored by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute investigating the treatment of Deep Vein Thrombosis. The name of this trial is:Acute Venous Thrombosis: Thrombosis Removal With Adjunctive Catheter-Directed Thrombolysis (ATTRACT)

Deep vein thrombosis, or DVT,  is a blood clot that forms in a vein deep in the body, usually in the leg. Blood clots occur when blood thickens and clumps together. Most deep vein blood clots occur in the lower leg or thigh. They also can occur in other parts of the body.

People who develop DVT often have one or more of the following risk factors:

1.         Recent major trauma (e.g. car accident with bony fractures).

2.         Recent major surgery.

3.         Cancer.

4.         Immobilization due to medical illness, paralysis, or other condition.

5.         Pregnancy.

6.         Hormonal treatments (e.g. birth control pills).

7.         Disorders of the blood clotting system (often inherited).

Approximately 25 to 50% of individuals treated for a DVT have post-thrombotic syndrome (PTS) after treatment of the condition. This adds up to about 50,000 -100,000 patients a year who develop PTS.   Post-thrombotic syndrome includes any number of on-going symptoms such as swelling of the affected limb, pain, heaviness and fatigue, purpura (bleeding into the skin), increased skin pigmentation, eczematoid (eczema-like) dermatitis, pruritus (itchiness), ulceration, and cellulitis (bacterial infection just below the skin). All of these complications result from the impaired return of blood through the veins of the lower leg to the heart.

The ATTRACT Study is being conducted to determine if an investigational method for delivering a clot busting medication can safely prevent PTS and improve quality of life in patients with a blood clot in the leg.  Participants will be followed for 2 years. All participants will receive blood-thinning drugs: the standard treatment for blood clots. In addition, half of the study participants will be randomly chosen to have their clot dissolved using a clot-busting drug (TPA) that a study doctor will inject directly into the clotted vein through a specially designed investigational drug delivery catheter.

Participants are followed for 2 years to assess possible symptoms related to the clot and how well the standard and investigational treatments prevent the occurrence of Post-Thrombotic Syndrome.

For more information about this study use the "search box" and enter the word ATTRACT.