In a double-blind study, patients with phlebographically proven deep venous thrombosis (DVT) were treated with subcutanous injections twice a day of either unfractionated heparin (UH; n = 27) or low molecular weight heparin (LH; n = 29) for 7 days, and the dose was adjusted until therapeutic range was reached, according to a chromogenic substrate anti-Xa assay. Forty-eight percent of the LH group did not need dose adjustment as compared to 24% of the UH group. During the course of heparin administration, deviation from initial heparin activity was frequent in both groups, but mean activity did not indicate a cumulative effect in either group. There was 1 incidence of pulmonary embolism (LH) and only 1 minor bleeding episode (UH). Half of the patients in both groups were phlebographically improved. We conclude that subcutaneous heparin treatment with UH or LH appears safe and convenient.

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Nine cocaine abusers with cerebral blood flow (CBF) deficits (hypo-perfused areas) on HMPAO SPECT scans were compared to six without these deficits after six doses of isradipine (5 mg TID). When comparing the scan before isradipine to that after using SPM analysis, the ratio of hypo- to hyper-fusion showed a 16% increase in the maximum Z scores and 30% fewer areas of hypo-perfusion among those cocaine abusers with deficits. These deficits may represent segmental cerebral vasospasm that was reversed by this vasodilating agent in cocaine abusers with areas of hypo-perfusion (deficits) as baseline.