Prevention of Dialysis Catheter Malfunction With Prophylactic Use of a Taurolidine Containing Urokinase

Prevention of Tunneled Cuffed Catheter Malfunction With Prophylactic Use of a Taurolidine Locking Solution Containing Urokinase : a Multicentric Randomized Controlled Trial

The objective of our study is to investigate whether the substitution of the standard locking solution with a locking solution containing taurolidine and urokinase weekly (Taurolock ™ U 25,000 - www.taurolock.com ) reduces the rate of catheter dysfunction in hemodialysis patients with a history of TCC dysfunction requiring urokinase therapy.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Adult, prevalent hemodialysis patients
• Informed and consented
• Hemodialysis 3x/week via a tunneled cuffed catheter
• Urokinase administration at least two times during the previous 6 months (with more than a week between 2 administrations)
• Adequate catheter function during the week before inclusion (defined by blood flow more than 250ml/min on each dialysis session and blood flow within 15% of the maximal blood flow after the last Urokinase administration)

Exclusion Criteria:

• Presence of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia
• Major hemorrhage or intracranial bleeding in the previous 3 months
• Pericarditis
• Intolerance to Taurolidine, citrate or to Urokinase
• Active catheter-related infection
• Catheter in the femoral vein