Multiple pulmonary embolism treated with urokinase relatively late after onset

Although pulmonary embolism is an extremely serious condition which normally requires immediate treatment, in the case of a patient with multiple pulmonary embolism who only came to our attention late in the course of the disease, the administration of urokinase intravenously for 36 hours led to a virtually complete cure and to functional recovery of the patient's lung. We found a close correlation between modifications of the fibrinolytic parameters (antiplasmin and plasminogen) and the pharmacological clinical effect of urokinase.