The role of sulfinpyrazone in the prevention of arterio-venous shunt thrombosis.

The effect of sulfinpyrazone on the incidence of thrombosis of arterio-venous shunts was investigated in a double-blind crossover study in 45 patients on chronic hemodialysis over a period of 12 months. The incidence of thrombosis was reduced from 0.64 thrombi per patient month when on placebo to 0.21 thrombi per patient month when on sulfinpryazone (P less than 0.001). The therapeutic effect was more striking in men than in women and became evident within a week of starting the drug. The side effects were minimal, requiring withdrawal from the study of only one patient. This crossover study strengthens the findings in the previous report that sulfinpyrazone is of value in the prevention of thrombosis.