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t-PA Prophylaxis to Prevent Catheter-associated Thrombosis and Infection

Tissue Plasminogen Activator Dwells to Reduce Catheter-associated Thrombosis and Infection

Status
Completed
Phases
Phase 2
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT03672006
Acronym
TOPCAT
Enrollment
20
Registered
2018-09-14
Start date
2019-04-22
Completion date
2019-12-15
Last updated
2021-07-13

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Central Venous Catheter Associated Bloodstream Infection, Central Venous Catheter Thrombosis

Brief summary

The purpose of this pilot study is to test feasibility of concept, consent and enrollment rates, and mechanics of study designed to assess if intra-catheter dwells of tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) is effective in decreasing the rate of clinically diagnosed central line associated blood stream infection (CLABSI) or venous thromboembolism (VTE) in central venous catheters (CVC) compared to standard of care heparin dwell.

Detailed description

This pilot study Children's Hospital of Wisconsin will be a prospective, blinded, randomized controlled trial enrolling 20 patients in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) with a newly placed central venous catheter (CVC) to receive t-PA or heparin (current standard of care and defined as placebo for this study) to dwell for a minimum of 30 minutes every three days until catheter removal or discharge from the PICU. Primary outcomes would be central line associated blood stream infection (CLABSI) or venous thromboembolism (VTE). Secondary outcomes would be episodes of CVC dysfunction, off study use of t-PA, and bleeding. Any patient admitted to the PICU and meeting the inclusion criteria will be approached for consent within 72 hours CVC placement. Randomization and administration of study drug/placebo treatment will be initiated within 24 hours of enrollment. After randomization, study drug/heparin will be infused in the CVC for a dwell duration of 30 minutes-4 hours and then withdrawn (lock therapy) every 3 days until discharge from the PICU, CVC removal or a maximum of 10 doses received. Additional lumens will be treated on subsequent days. Any lumen requiring continuous infusion of vaso-active medication will not receive dwell therapy, evaluated on a day-to-day basis. Timing of instillation of study dwell medication will be adjusted so as not to interfere with medications for patient care. This single center, pilot study will enroll 20 subjects. Procedures to be completed for this study are as follows: After informed consent/assent, the patient will be randomized and assigned to either the treatment arm (t-PA lock) or placebo arm (heparin lock). Randomization will be stratified by age (\<5 or ≥5 years old). To maintain the blind, randomization will be done in the investigational pharmacy prior to the dispensing of the study drug/heparin. Study Treatment and Dosing In subjects randomized to the t-PA, dosing and administration will comply with the Children's Hospital and Health System (CHHS) Policy and Procedure Protocol t-PA Administration for Central Venous Access Devices (CVAD); subjects randomized to the standard of care heparin group will receive an equivalent volume for weight of heparin 10U/ml. The CVC should be flushed with normal saline prior to infusion of study drug/placebo. After dwelling time of 30 minutes-4 hours, study drug/placebo should be withdrawn, check for blood return in CVC and flush line with normal saline as per policy. Each lumen of multi-lumen CVC should be treated every 3 days until patient discharge from PICU, removal of CVC, or a maximum of 10 doses of study drug/placebo are received. Patient weight Volume Study drug/Placebo 0-10kg 0.5ml 10-20kg 1 ml \>20kg 2 ml These doses by body weight have been approved by the FDA for and CHHS Patient Care Protocol (tPA Administration for Central Venous Access Devices (CVADs) for use in children with CVC and are not associated with significant bleeding. If a 2mg (ml) dose of t-PA is administered by bolus injection directly into the systemic circulation, rather than as a dwell within the CVC, the drug concentration would return to endogenous levels with 30 minutes. Ultrasound imaging At the end of the study period, a noninvasive ultrasound with doppler will be performed to assess for asymptomatic thrombosis in the blood vessel of the CVC location.

Interventions

BIOLOGICALalteplase (recombinant t-PA)

Medication administered to dwell in central venous catheter

DRUGHeparin

Medication administered to dwell in central venous catheter

Sponsors

Medical College of Wisconsin
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
QUADRUPLE (Subject, Caregiver, Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)

Masking description

Centralized pharmacy will prepare and blind the study drug (t-PA) and the control (heparin)

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
No minimum to 18 Years
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* Age 0 - ≤ 18 years old * PICU admission * CVC placed within 72 hours of enrollment (tunneled such as peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC), Broviac or Hickman, or untunneled) and in place during hospitalization

Exclusion criteria

* Pregnancy * Non-English-speaking subjects and/or parent/guardian * Platelet count \< 20,000 * Active CVC infection-defined as positive blood culture from the in -situ CVC at time of enrollment * Current radiographically confirmed VTE * Currently receiving treatment doses of anticoagulation (heparin infusion \>15U/kg/hr, enoxaparin injections \>=2mg/kg/day or \>=60mg/day) * CVC diameter \<1.9 Fr * Current or previous diagnosis of Heparin Induced Thrombocytopenia or allergy to heparin or t-PA * Med-a-port catheters

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Catheter-associated Venous Thrombosis30 days or ICU dischargeCatheter-associated Venous Thrombosis upon ICU discharge or 30 days
Catheter-associated Bloodstream Infection30 days or ICU dischargeCLABSI

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Episodes of CVC Dysfunction30 days or ICU dischargeEpisodes of CVC dysfunction
Off Study Use of t-PA30 days or ICU dischargeoff study use
Clinical Bleeding30 days or ICU dischargeclinically significant bleeding

Countries

United States

Participant flow

Participants by arm

ArmCount
Alteplase
10 patients received 30 min-4 hours dwells of alteplase (recombinant t-PA) (2mg/2ml, up to 2mg per dose) to central venous catheter every 3 days (maximum 10 doses) alteplase (recombinant t-PA): Medication administered to dwell in central venous catheter
10
Heparin
9 patients received 30 min-4 hours heparin (10U/ml, up to 2 ml per dose) dwells to central venous catheter every 3 days (maximum 10 doses) Heparin: Medication administered to dwell in central venous catheter
9
Total19

Withdrawals & dropouts

PeriodReasonFG000FG001
Overall Studyexclusion criteria met01

Baseline characteristics

CharacteristicAlteplaseHeparinTotal
Age, Continuous5.5 years3 years3 years
CVC type
Broviac/Hickman
1 Participants0 Participants1 Participants
CVC type
PICC
2 Participants1 Participants3 Participants
CVC type
Untunneled
7 Participants8 Participants15 Participants
Race and Ethnicity Not Collected0 Participants
Region of Enrollment
United States
10 participants9 participants19 participants
Sex: Female, Male
Female
4 Participants3 Participants7 Participants
Sex: Female, Male
Male
6 Participants6 Participants12 Participants

Adverse events

Event typeEG000
affected / at risk
EG001
affected / at risk
deaths
Total, all-cause mortality
0 / 100 / 9
other
Total, other adverse events
0 / 100 / 9
serious
Total, serious adverse events
0 / 100 / 9

Outcome results

Primary

Catheter-associated Bloodstream Infection

CLABSI

Time frame: 30 days or ICU discharge

ArmMeasureValue (COUNT_OF_PARTICIPANTS)
AlteplaseCatheter-associated Bloodstream Infection0 Participants
HeparinCatheter-associated Bloodstream Infection0 Participants
Primary

Catheter-associated Venous Thrombosis

Catheter-associated Venous Thrombosis upon ICU discharge or 30 days

Time frame: 30 days or ICU discharge

ArmMeasureValue (COUNT_OF_PARTICIPANTS)
AlteplaseCatheter-associated Venous Thrombosis3 Participants
HeparinCatheter-associated Venous Thrombosis3 Participants
Secondary

Clinical Bleeding

clinically significant bleeding

Time frame: 30 days or ICU discharge

Population: Bleeding events defined as clinically significant

ArmMeasureValue (NUMBER)
AlteplaseClinical Bleeding0 episodes
HeparinClinical Bleeding0 episodes
Secondary

Episodes of CVC Dysfunction

Episodes of CVC dysfunction

Time frame: 30 days or ICU discharge

Population: episode of CVC dysfunction as inability to flush or draw

ArmMeasureValue (NUMBER)
AlteplaseEpisodes of CVC Dysfunction5 episodes
HeparinEpisodes of CVC Dysfunction2 episodes
Secondary

Off Study Use of t-PA

off study use

Time frame: 30 days or ICU discharge

Population: number of episodes of off-study t-PA use

ArmMeasureValue (MEDIAN)
AlteplaseOff Study Use of t-PA0.5 doses
HeparinOff Study Use of t-PA0 doses

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026