Difference In Incidence Of Venous Thromboembolism Research Articles

Aspirin prophylaxis is not associated with increased risk of venous thromboembolism in arthroplasty for femoral neck fractures: a non-inferiority study.

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a known complication of hip arthroplasty for femoral neck fractures (FNF) with various prophylactic anticoagulants utilized to decrease risk. The purpose of this study was to assess the efficacy and perioperative outcomes associated with aspirin for VTE prophylaxis following arthroplasty for FNF. Medical records of 1,220 patients who underwent hip hemiarthroplasty (HHA) or total hip arthroplasty (THA) at an urban academic center from 2011 to 2022 were retrospectively reviewed. Patient characteristics and perioperative outcomes, including length of stay (LOS), VTE, 90-day hospital encounters, and discharge disposition, were collected. Outcomes for patients prescribed aspirin (n = 214) were compared to those prescribed non-aspirin VTE prophylaxis (n = 1006) using propensity score matching. Patients who received aspirin had higher rates of THA (36.0 vs 26.7%; p = 0.008). There were no significant risk-adjusted differences in the incidence of VTE (0.5 vs 0.5%, p = 1.000) and 90-day readmissions (10.4 vs 12.3%, p = 0.646) between patients prescribed aspirin and non-aspirin VTE prophylaxis, respectively. Patients prescribed non-aspirin agents had higher rates of non-home discharge (73.9 vs 58.5%; p < 0.001) and longer LOS (143.5 vs 124.9h; p = 0.005). Sub-analysis of patients prescribed aspirin and non-aspirin prophylaxis based on comorbidity scores demonstrated no difference in VTE incidence for low (0.0 vs 1.6%, p = 1.000) and high scores (0.0 vs 0.0%, p = 1.000), respectively. Aspirin is not associated with increased incidence of VTE after HHA or THA for FNF. Aspirin prophylaxis should be considered in hip fracture patients to mitigate bleeding risk, particularly those with low to intermediate VTE risk. Level III, Retrospective study.

Safety and Efficacy of Direct Oral Anticoagulants in Patients with Liver Cirrhosis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Introduction Direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) are widely used for treatment of venous thromboembolism (VTE) and stroke prophylaxis in patients with atrial fibrillation. Liver cirrhosis increases the risk of conditions necessitating anticoagulation, but also increases the risk of bleeding, complicating anticoagulation use. Traditionally, low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) or Vitamin K Antagonists (VKA) have been used in this patient population. However, VKA use can be complicated due to difficulty monitoring in the context of synthetic dysfunction and baseline INR abnormalities. DOACs have emerged as alternative agents, with less proposed reliance on hepatic elimination. Apixaban, rivaroxaban, edoxaban and dabigatran are eliminated by the liver at 75%, 65%, 50% and 20% respectively. However, safety data on DOACs in cirrhosis patients is limited due to historic exclusion from larger trials. Patients with severe Child-Pugh (CP) classes are notably underrepresented in major trials. Various guidelines currently classify CP class C (and sometimes B) as contraindications to DOACs. Methods A literature search of MEDLINE and Embase from inception to Jan 2023 identified randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and cohort studies comparing DOACs to LMWH/VKA in cirrhosis patients. Two independent reviewers screened and extracted data at title, abstract, and full-text. Patient characteristics, CP class, and anticoagulation regimens were extracted. The primary outcome was major bleeding per ISTH criteria. Secondary outcomes include clinically relevant non-major bleeding (CRNMB) and minor bleeding per ISTH criteria as a composite outcome, VTE incidence, and arterial thromboembolism (ATE) incidence. Results were stratified into two subgroups: CP B&amp;C Exclusive, and CP Unspecified (primary study did not report or stratify by CP class). A meta-analysis was conducted using the Mantel-Haenszel random-effects model and presented as odds ratios (OR) with corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI). Results Of 794 articles screened, 21 articles (2 RCTs, 1 prospective cohort, 13 retrospective cohorts, 5 abstracts) were included for analysis (n = 5738). Overall, DOACs were associated with a lower risk of major bleeding compared to controls (OR=0.63 [0.45, 0.89], p&amp;lt;0.01). This result was consistent in the CP B&amp;C Exclusive subgroup (OR=0.42 [0.29, 0.62], p&amp;lt;0.01, 5 studies) but not in the CP Unspecified subgroup (OR=0.71 [0.48, 1.08], p=0.11, 13 studies). One large study (n=3213), Lawal 2023, weighed 20.1% in the CP B&amp;C Exclusive group, favoured DOACs in reduction of major bleeding (OR=0.37, 95%CI [0.24,0.57]). Removal of this study in a post-hoc sensitivity analysis led to no differences in major bleeding in the CP B&amp;C subgroup (OR=0.79, 95%CI [0.31,1.97]), CP Unspecified subgroup (OR=0.71, 95%CI [0.48,1.08]), or overall bleeding (OR=0.75, 95%CI [0.55,1.03]). For CRNMB and minor bleeding, DOACs did not differ from control overall or in any subgroups. DOACs significantly reduced the risk of VTE in the CP Unspecified subgroup and overall. The difference in VTE incidence was non-significant in the CP B&amp;C Exclusive subgroup, however the analysis only had two studies. The difference in ATE incidence in the overall sample and all subgroups was non-significant. Conclusion In this analysis comparing DOACs to LMWH/VKAs in patients with liver cirrhosis, DOACs were associated with a statistically significant reduction in the risk of major bleeding overall and in the more advanced subgroups (CP B&amp;C). The association between DOACs and the risk of CRNMB and minor bleeding was non-significant. Patients using DOACs had lower VTE incidence compared to those using LMWH/VKA, with no difference in ATE incidence. Limitations include the inability to stratify CP class B and C due to limited CP class C evidence, reducing confidence in our ability to differentiate a differing effect in these two groups. Furthermore, a single large study (Lawal 2023), heavily influenced the major bleeding outcome; its removal shifted the conclusion from favouring DOACs to non-significant differences. Nevertheless, these results provide reassurance on the safety profile of DOACs in comparison to LMWH/VKA in patients with cirrhosis, particularly in those with moderate to severe liver cirrhosis, a population of clinical uncertainty. There is no concerning evidence for future trials, which are much needed, to include this population.

A Retrospective Analysis of COVID-19 Coagulopathy in Hospitalized and Intensive Care Patients with Sickle Cell Disease

Purpose/Objective: The implications of COVID-19 induced hypercoagulability in patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) remain largely unknown. Both COVID-19 and SCD have independent pathophysiological mechanisms which impact each aspect of Virchow's triad to induce a hypercoagulable state (Saxena and Muthu., 2023), however the joint impact of COVID-19-SCD on venous thromboembolism (VTE) remains understudied. As such, our primary objective involved investigating the incidence of VTE events in SCD patients with COVID-19. Our secondary objective involved assessing parameters of COVID-19 infection severity in SCD patients. Methods: We conducted a retrospective cross-sectional study at New York City Health and Hospitals, Kings County involving SCD, sickle cell trait (SCT) and the general population of COVID-19 patients (non-sickle). Data was collected from the onset of the pandemic on March 1, 2020 to December 31, 2021 for hospitalized and intensive care patients. We collected information on incidence of VTE, type of VTE (deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism), age, sex, comorbidities, VTE prophylaxis, D-dimer, ferritin, LDH, BMI, sickle cell phenotype, transfusion requirements, COVID-19 management, SCD management, and outcomes. Data was analyzed on GraphPad PRISM, using one-way ANOVA and odds ratios. A p-value of &amp;lt;0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The study included three patient cohorts, consisting of 24 SCT, 26 SCD and 675 non-sickle patients (non-SS) to study incidence of VTE. Additional information regarding infection parameters was obtained on 146 non-sickle patients, and all SCT and SCD patients. We found that there was no significant difference between VTE risk in the SCD and non-sickle patients (OR=0.3736, 95% CI 0.0223 to 6.2675) or SCT and SCD patients (OR=0.2956, 95% CI 0.0115 to 7.6121). There was no significant difference in mortality (OR=0.4909, 95% CI 0.0606 to 3.9736) or intensive care requirements (OR=0.4137, 95% CI 0.1171 to 1.4608) between SCD and non-SS patients (Table 1). We also investigated markers of infection and hypercoagulability and found that there was no significant difference between D-dimer or LDH levels between the three cohorts, however ferritin was significantly increased in the SCD group compared to the non-sickle cohort (Figure 1, p=0.0123). Conclusions/Implications: Current ASH guidelines recommend use of prophylactic dose anticoagulation for critically ill COVID-19 patients and therapeutic dose anticoagulation for acute, but not critically ill patients (Cuker et. al., 2022). There are currently no formal recommendations regarding VTE prevention for hospitalized SCD patients with COVID-19. Our data supports prior reports on VTE in SCD (Singh et. al., 2022) which note that SCD patients with COVID-19 do not have an increased risk of VTE compared with uninfected SCD patients. Similarly, our data suggests that there is no statistical difference in VTE incidence in SCD-COVID-19 patients compared to the general population affected by COVID-19. Given no differences in VTE incidence, we recommend that anticoagulation parameters for the general population of hospitalized and intensive care patients be applied to SCD patients.

Incidence of Venous Thromboembolism Among Commonly Prescribed Second-Generation Antipsychotics.

Background: Second-generation antipsychotics (SGAs) are commonly prescribed medications used to treat a variety of mental health conditions. Recent data has correlated antipsychotic medications with venous thromboembolism (VTE). SGAs have diverse side effect profiles, which may contribute to differences in incidence of VTE. It is unknown which SGAs confer the most risk, and what the mechanism of increased risk is. Objective: Determine incidence of VTE in Veterans at Veterans Affairs North Texas Health Care System (VA-NTX HCS) between SGAs aripiprazole, olanzapine and risperidone. Methods: Retrospective chart review of adult Veterans at VA-NTX HCS between October 2015 to December 2019 prescribed aripiprazole, olanzapine, or risperidone. Results: Of 823 Veterans, incidence of VTE was lowest in aripiprazole group at .4%, increased to 1.7% in the olanzapine group, and was highest at 2.5% in the risperidone group. However, differences in incidence of VTE between SGAs were not statistically different, indicating no between-group differences. Conclusion: There was no difference in the incidence of VTE between risperidone, olanzapine, or aripiprazole. Given multiple limitations with this study, higher-powered studies should be conducted to investigate the possibility of differences in the incidence of VTE between the SGAs.

VENOUS THROMBOEMBOLISM WITH THE USE OF ASPIRIN VERSUS ENOXAPARIN AS PROPHYLACTIC AGENTS AFTER HIP ARTHROPLASTY

Objective: To assess how often venous thromboembolism (VTE) occurs in patients on low dosage aspirin versus enoxaparin for VTE prevention after hip arthroplasty. Methodology: This quasi-randomized controlled trial was conducted at the Department of Trauma &amp; Orthopedics, Lady Reading Hospital, Peshawar. The study was conducted over a period of 6 months. Lottery method was used to collect data and the patients were divided into two groups. The chi-square test was used to compare the frequency of VTE between groups. Effect modifiers such as age, gender, and BMI were managed through stratification. The post-stratification chi-square test was used to determine whether there is a relationship between these impact modifiers and study results. P-value 0.05 was used to define a significant difference. Results: A total of 74 patients undergoing total/partial hip arthroplasty in orthopedics surgery were observed, which were divided in two equal groups. Patients in Group A were managed by aspirin (75mg/day) and Group B patients received enoxaparin (0.5mg/kg). Group A had 2(5.4%) patients with VTE in follow-up and 35(94.6%) patients had observed no VTE. Group B had VTE in 4(10.8%) patients and no VTE in 33(89.2%) patients which shows that VTE was high in group B as compared to group A. The difference was insignificant with p-value=0 .337. Incidence of VTE was seen to be higher in patients aged more than 50 years. Conclusion: The difference in incidence of VTE after hip arthroplasty with use of either Aspirin or Enoxaparin as prophylactic agents was statistically insignificant.

Unfractionated heparin or low-molecular-weight heparin for venous thromboembolism prophylaxis after hepatic resection: A meta-analysis.

Two systematic reviews summarized the efficacy and safety of pharmacological prophylaxis for venous thromboembolism (VTE) after hepatic resection, but both lacked a discussion of the differences in the pharmacological prophylaxis of VTE in different ethnicities. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) or unfractionated heparin (UFH) for VTE prophylaxis in Asian and Caucasian patients who have undergone hepatic resection. We searched PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang Data, and VIP databases for studies reporting the primary outcomes of VTE incidence, bleeding events, and all-cause mortality from January 2000 to July 2022. Ten studies involving 4318 participants who had undergone hepatic resection were included: 6 in Asians and 4 in Caucasians. A significant difference in VTE incidence was observed between the experimental and control groups (odds ratio [OR] = 0.39, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.20, 0.74, P = .004). No significant difference in bleeding events and all-cause mortality was observed (OR = 1.29, 95% CI: 0.80, 2.09, P = .30; OR = 0.71, 95% CI: 0.36, 1.42, P = .33, respectively). Subgroup analyses stratified by ethnicity showed a significant difference in the incidence of VTE in Asians (OR = 0.16, 95% CI: 0.06, 0.39, P < .0001), but not in Caucasians (OR = 0.69, 95% CI: 0.39, 1.23, P = .21). No significant differences in bleeding events were found between Asians (OR = 1.60, 95% CI: 0.48, 5.37, P = .45) and Caucasians (OR = 1.11, 95% CI: 0.58, 2.12, P = .75). The sensitivity analysis showed that Ejaz's study was the main source of heterogeneity, and when Ejaz's study was excluded, a significant difference in VTE incidence was found in Caucasians (OR = 0.58, 95% CI: 0.36, 0.93, P = .02). This study's findings indicate that the application of UFH or LMWH for VTE prophylaxis after hepatic resection is efficacious and safe in Asians and Caucasians. It is necessary for Asians to receive drug prophylaxis for VTE after hepatic resection. This study can provide a reference for the development of guidelines in the future, especially regarding the pharmacological prevention of VTE in different ethnicities.

Efficacy and Safety of Locally Injected Tranexamic Acid in Hip Fracture Patients: A Retrospective Review.

To determine whether locally injected tranexamic acid (TXA) used in the surgical treatment of fragility hip fractures can lower transfusion rates without increasing the risk of complications. Retrospective comparative cohort. Tertiary referral orthopaedic specialty hospital, Level I trauma center. A total of 490 patients (252 patients received TXA) 50 years of age and older who underwent surgery for a low-energy fragility fracture of the proximal femur between March 2018 and February 2020 were included in this study. Use of locally injected TXA at the time of wound closure. The main outcomes of this study were the number of patients requiring postoperative blood transfusions, incidences of venous thromboembolism, and surgical site infections. A statistically significant difference was noted in the frequency of transfusion between patients who received TXA compared with those who did not receive TXA (33% vs. 43%, respectively) (P = 0.034). There were no significant differences in venous thromboembolism incidence (0.4% vs. 0.8% TXA vs. No TXA) (P = 0.526) or infections (0.4% vs. 0.4% TXA vs. No TXA) (P = 0.965). Regression analysis indicated that the use of TXA reduced the need for postoperative blood transfusion by 31% (odds ratio: 0.688, 95% CI: 0.477-0.993, P = 0.045). Locally injected TXA significantly reduced the need for postoperative transfusion in the surgical treatment of fragility hip fractures. In addition, there was no increased risk of complications in those receiving TXA versus those who did not. Locally injected TXA seems to be both a safe and effective way to reduce postoperative blood transfusions in patients with fragility hip fractures. Therapeutic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Low-molecular-weight heparin prophylaxis is not associated with decreased incidence of venous thromboembolism in testicular germ cell tumor patients receiving chemotherapy

Venous thromboembolism (VTE), commonly occurring in patients with testicular germ cell tumors (GCTs), is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Prophylactic anticoagulation has been shown to decrease the risk of VTE in patients with malignancies. The objective was to evaluate the effect of low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) prophylaxis on the incidence of VTE and outcome in patients with GCT treated with first-line chemotherapy. In this retrospective study, 353 chemotherapy-naive GCT patients were treated with first-line chemotherapy at the National Cancer Institute, Bratislava, Slovakia (2000-2017). Median follow-up was 71 months. VTE was defined as any venous thrombosis or pulmonary embolism, confirmed by imaging, occurring during first-line chemotherapy. Exclusion criteria were LMWH use before starting chemotherapy and VTE on initial staging. We observed 14 (4.0%) VTE events. No visceral thromboses were observed. The difference in VTE incidence between patients with and without prophylaxis was not statistically significant (5.8% vs. 3.2%, p=0.37). We observed a trend toward longer overall survival in patients without prophylaxis (hazard ratio = 0.61, 95% confidence interval = 0.32-1.13, p=0.08). Patients with extragonadal GCT receiving VTE prophylaxis had significantly shorter survival (hazard ratio = 0.29, 95% confidence interval = 0.08-1.12, p=0.04). This effect was most likely driven by a higher incidence of treatment-related deaths in patients with extragonadal GCT receiving LMWH (p=0.06). LMWH prophylaxis was not associated with decreased VTE incidence. Moreover, there was a higher incidence of treatment-related deaths in patients with extragonadal tumor location. Low-molecular-weight heparin prophylaxis during hospitalization should not be used routinely in patients with testicular germ cell tumors receiving chemotherapy.

Weight-Based Aspirin Dosing May Further Reduce the Incidence of Venous Thromboembolism Following Primary Total Joint Arthroplasty

Obesity poses a challenge to thromboembolic prophylaxis following total joint arthroplasty (TJA). The purpose of this study is to evaluate a weight-based aspirin dosing regimen for prevention of venous thromboembolism (VTE) following TJA.This is a retrospective observational study of 2403 patients who underwent primary total hip or knee arthroplasty at one institution. A weight-based aspirin dosing regimen for VTE prophylaxis was administered to 1247 patients: patients weighing ≥120 kg received 325 mg aspirin twice daily (BID) and those weighing <120 kg received 81 mg aspirin BID for 4 weeks. In total, 1156 patients in the comparison cohort received 81 mg aspirin BID. VTE and gastrointestinal bleeding events were identified through chart review at 42 days and 6 months postoperatively. A multivariable logistic regression was performed to adjust for covariates.The weight-based aspirin cohort had a significantly lesser incidence of VTE at 42 days (P = .03, relative risk [RR] 0.31, 95% confidence interval 0.12-0.82) and 6 months (P = .03, RR 0.38, 95% confidence interval 0.18-0.80). There was no difference in VTE incidence between total hip arthroplasty and total knee arthroplasty cases (P = .8). There was no difference in gastrointestinal bleeding events between the cohorts at 42 days (P = .69) or 6 months (P = .92). Subanalysis of patients weighing ≥120 kg demonstrated a significant difference between the cohorts with a VTE incidence of 3.48% and 0% in the 81 mg and weight-based cohorts, respectively (P = .02).Patients prescribed a weight-based aspirin regimen had significantly fewer VTEs after TJA compared to historical controls with an RR reduction of 69% at 6 weeks and 62% at 6 months postoperatively. This suggests the need to factor patient weight when determining postoperative VTE prophylaxis with aspirin.

Enoxaparin titrated by anti-Xa levels reduces venous thromboembolism in trauma patients.

Trauma is a major risk factor for the development of a venous thromboembolism (VTE). After observing higher than expected VTE rates within our center's Trauma Quality Improvement Program data, we instituted a change in our VTE prophylaxis protocol, moving to enoxaparin dosing titrated by anti-Xa levels. We hypothesized that this intervention would lower our symptomatic VTE rates. Adult trauma patients at a single institution meeting National Trauma Data Standard criteria from April 2015 to September 2019 were examined with regards to VTE chemoprophylaxis regimen and VTE incidence. Two groups of patients were identified based on VTE protocol-those who received enoxaparin 30 mg twice daily without routine anti-Xa levels ("pre") versus those who received enoxaparin 40 mg twice daily with dose titrated by serial anti-Xa levels ("post"). Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to define statistically significant differences in VTE incidence between the two cohorts. There were 1698 patients within the "pre" group and 1406 patients within the "post" group. The two groups were essentially the same in terms of demographics and risk factors for bleeding or thrombosis. There was a statistically significant reduction in VTE rate (p = 0.01) and deep vein thrombosis rate (p = 0.01) but no significant reduction in pulmonary embolism rate (p = 0.21) after implementation of the anti-Xa titration protocol. Risk-adjusted Trauma Quality Improvement Program data showed an improvement in rate of symptomatic pulmonary embolism from fifth decile to first decile. A protocol titrating prophylactic enoxaparin dose based on anti-Xa levels reduced VTE rates. Implementation of this type of protocol requires diligence from the physician and pharmacist team. Further research will investigate the impact of protocol compliance and time to appropriate anti-Xa level on incidence of VTE. Therapeutic/care management, Level IV.

Venous thromboembolism in patients with multiple myeloma receiving daratumumab-based regimens: a post hoc analysis of phase 3 clinical trials

It is unknown if daratumumab could affect venous thromboembolism (VTE) risks in patients with multiple myeloma (MM). In this study, individual participant data from three trials comparing daratumumab (DARA) and non-DARA regimens, the CASTOR, PULLOX and MAIA trial, were pooled into two groups. A total of 896 and 899 patients received DARA and non-DARA regimens, respectively. After a median follow-up of 13.9 and 13.5 months, there was no significant difference in VTE incidence between the two groups (hazard ratio 0.80, 95% confidence interval 0.57–1.13, p = 0.17). The two groups shared similar VTE risk factors. The SAVED score and IMPEDE-VTE score are two validated VTE risk-stratification tools in MM. In the DARA group, the SAVED score had better performance than the IMPEDE-VTE score in identifying high risk patients.

Incidence and Risk of Venous Thromboembolism in Bisphosphonates and Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators Treatment in Korea.

BackgroundSelective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs) were associated with an increased risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) due to the estrogen effect. In this study, we investigated the effect of SERMs on VTE compared to bisphosphonates (BPs) using the Korean National Health Insurance claims database.MethodsThis was a retrospective cohort study. Women over 50 years old who were first prescribed BPs or SERMs for osteoporosis treatment in 2012 were included. The difference in VTE incidence between the SERMs and BP groups was compared. Both groups were followed up for VTE or PE occurrence, death, or until December 2016. The study population was analyzed by 3:1 matching according to age using a multivariate Cox model.ResultsThe hazard ratio (HR) for VTE was 0.72 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.40–1.28) in the SERMs group compared to BP group. Older age (60–69 vs. 50–59 years: HR, 3.77; 95% CI, 2.07–6.86 and 70–79 vs. 50–59 years: HR, 5.88; 95% CI, 3.14–11.02), major osteoporotic fracture (HR, 1.77; 95% CI, 1.16- 2.70), atrial fibrillation (HR, 3.31; 95% CI, 1.35–8.11), and estrogen replacement (HR, 3.40; 95% CI, 2.01–5.73) all increased VTE risk. In subgroup analysis of the SERMs group, past hospitalization (HR, 2.24; 95% CI, 1.02–4.92), estrogen replacement (HR, 5.75; 95% CI, 2.29–14.39), and glucocorticoid replacement (HR, 2.71; 95% CI, 1.05–7.0) increased VTE risk.ConclusionSERMs did not increase the risk of VTE compared to BPs in Koreans with osteoporosis. However, old age and estrogen replacement both increased VTE risk.

Risk of Venous Thromboembolism in Grade II-IV Gliomas as a Function of Molecular Subtype.

To determine the incidence of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in lower-grade gliomas (LGGs, WHO grades II-III) and to stratify the risk of VTE by molecular subtype in gliomas grade II-IV, we performed a retrospective review of a large cohort of patients with glioma. We performed a retrospective analysis of a cohort of 635 adult patients with glioma with molecular testing seen at the University of Virginia with a diagnosis of diffuse glioma established from January 2005 to August 2017. Estimates of cumulative incidence of VTE were calculated with death as competing risk; significance was determined using the Fine and Gray model. Of 256 patients with LGG, 81 were isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) wild-type; 113 IDH mutant, 1p/19q codeleted; and 62 IDH mutant, 1p/19q intact. With a median follow-up of 17.9 months, the overall cumulative incidence of VTE was 8.2% for grade II (147 patients), 9.2% for grade III (109 patients), and 30.5% for grade IV (334 patients). In grade II-IV patients, absence of an IDH mutation was associated with a threefold increase in VTE risk when compared to IDH-mutant patients (hazard ratio 3.06, 95% confidence interval 2.03-4.64). In patients with glioblastoma, there was no difference in VTE incidence according to O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) promoter methylation status. Patients with LGG have a higher VTE risk compared to the general population, which is decreased, but not eliminated, in the presence of an IDH mutation. MGMT promoter methylation in glioblastoma does not affect the incidence of VTE.

Thrombosis and Mortality in Pregnant Patients with COVID-19

BackgroundCoronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) has become a global pandemic causing respiratory compromise, coagulopathy and renal failure in severe cases. Studies demonstrate a high incidence of venous thromboembolism (VTE), up to 69% in patients with severe COVID-19 infection. Coagulopathy in COVID-19 patients is attributed to excessive inflammation and endotheliopathy. Pregnant patients have approximately a 4-fold increase of VTE incidence. This is in part due to an increase in clotting factors and fibrinogen and a decrease in fibrinolytic activity and protein S. Increased stasis and the presence of acquired and inherited thrombophilias can contribute to increased VTE incidence during pregnancy and postpartum period (PP). Risk factors for thrombosis in pregnancy include African American race, heart disease, diabetes, smoking, multiparity, age >35 years, and obesity. Pregnancy/PP state and COVID-19 infection independently increase the risk of VTE which raises concern for an even higher incidence of thromboembolic events in pregnant/PP patients with COVID-19. Data pertaining to hypercoagulability in COVID-19 infected pregnant patients is currently limited. We conducted this study to evaluate the incidence of thrombosis and mortality in pregnant/PP COVID-19 positive patients.MethodsA retrospective analysis was performed on all COVID-19 positive hospitalized patients between March 2020-June 2020 at our institution. Pregnant and PP patients were extracted from this cohort and individually chart reviewed by clinicians. Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on COVID-19 positive pregnant women in the United States from January 22-July 7, 2020 was utilized for comparison analyses. Statistical analysis was performed with chi-square testing. The incidences of thrombosis and mortality were compared between hospitalized COVID-19 positive pregnant/PP patients and hospitalized adult COVID-19 positive women of childbearing age (18-51 years). A subgroup analysis was performed to evaluate risk factors for thrombosis such as demographics, trimester of pregnancy, and single/multiple gestation (Table 1). Anticoagulation and COVID-19 related therapies administered in this cohort were also studied.ResultsForty-three pregnant/PP COVID-19 positive patients were identified out of 1265 hospitalized COVID-19 positive patients at our institution. Thrombosis (DVT, PE, or stroke) incidence in our cohort was 0%, which was not significantly different compared to 6.12% incidence of thrombosis in hospitalized COVID-19 positive women of childbearing age (P = .097). The mortality rate of COVID-19 positive pregnant/PP patients was 0%, which was not significantly different compared to the mortality rate of 3.06% in hospitalized COVID-19 women of childbearing age (P = .25). Further, VTE incidence of 0% in hospitalized COVID-19 positive pregnant/PP patients was not significantly different from the 0.1% incidence of VTE in the non COVID-19 pregnant population in the United States (P=.84). Lastly, the 0% mortality rate in COVID-19 positive pregnant/PP patients at our institution was no different than the 0.0169% mortality rate of pregnant women without COVID-19 infections in the United States (P = .93).ConclusionOur study demonstrates no significant difference in incidence of thrombosis and mortality rate between hospitalized COVID-19 positive pregnant/PP patients and hospitalized COVID-19 positive women of childbearing age. There was also no difference in VTE incidence between hospitalized COVID-19 positive pregnant/PP patients and non COVID-19 pregnant women in the United States. The lack of significant difference in both thrombosis incidence and mortality rate in patients who are both COVID-19 positive and pregnant/PP is reassuring and may imply that pregnancy might play a role in decreasing the inflammatory response of COVID-19. During certain phases of pregnancy a high number of macrophages, natural killer cells, and T regulator cells in the decidua have been identified, which could indicate an overall increased systemic immune response, potentially decreasing the dysregulation of the cytokine storm seen in critically ill COVID-19 patients. However, the systemic immunologic changes in pregnancy and the postpartum period remain largely unknown and prospective studies are needed to further investigate the effects of COVID-19 on pregnant patients.DisclosuresNo relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

Assessment of the Use of Pharmacologic Venous Thromboembolism Prophylaxis in Post-Traumatic Brain Injury Patients

Background: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is an independent risk factor for venous thromboembolism (VTE). Prophylaxis (PPX) beyond 48 hours increases VTE risk 3- to 4-fold. Pharmacologic VTE PPX initiation is controversial due to potential bleeding complications. Objective: To evaluate VTE PPX in patients with TBI for practice variation, efficacy, and safety. Methods: Retrospective review from January 2013 to September 2016 in adults admitted to the intensive care unit with moderate to severe TBI. Demographics, time to stable computerized tomography scan, time to PPX initiation, PPX regimen, and incidences of VTE and adverse effects were collected. Data were analyzed via descriptive statistics, analysis of variance, and linear regression models. Results: Of 96 patients included, 14.6% did not receive VTE PPX (G1), 7.3% initiated therapy within 0 to 24 hours (G2), 14.6% after 24 to 48 hours (G3), and 63.5% after 48 hours (G4). VTE occurred in 0% of G1 and G2, 28.6% of G3, and 8.2% of G4 patients (P = .038). Of 9 VTE cases, 8 received medical and 1 received trauma PPX dosing (P = .44). There were 3 major bleeds (P = .79) and 19 minor bleeds (P = .042). Of 14 fatalities, 42.9% were in G1, 0% in G2, 14.2% in G3, and 42.9% in G4 (P = .009). Conclusion: The majority of patients received delayed PPX, with no correlation between VTE incidence and PPX regimen. There was a significant difference in VTE incidence stratified by time to PPX. Further studies are required to determine optimal timing of PPX. Higher mortality rate was correlated with the lack of PPX. Increased minor bleeds occurred with earlier PPX initiation.

Effect of prophylactic anticoagulation on incidence of venous thromboembolism in testicular germ cell tumor patients.

422 Background: Testicular germ cell tumors (GCTs) are among the most common solid tumors in young males. With the availability of highly effective treatment, improving patients’ quality of life has gained more focus in recent years. Venous thromboembolism (VTE), commonly occurring in GCT patients, is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Prophylactic anticoagulation has been shown to decrease the risk of VTE in cancer patients. In this retrospective study we evaluated the effect of low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) prophylaxis during hospitalization on incidence of VTE and outcome in GCT patients treated with first-line chemotherapy. Methods: Study population included 394 chemotherapy-naive GCT patients treated with first-line chemotherapy at the National Cancer Institute, Bratislava, Slovakia from January 2000 to December 2017. VTE was defined as any venous thrombosis or pulmonary embolism, confirmed by imaging, occurring during first-line chemotherapy. No visceral thromboses were observed. Results: Forty-one out of 394 patients (10.4%) were diagnosed with VTE on initial staging and were excluded from the analysis. Final cohort included 353 patients. LMWH prophylaxis was administered to 104 patients (29.5%), 249 patients (70.5%) did not receive prophylaxis. We observed 14 (4.0%) VTE events. The difference in VTE incidence between patients with and without prophylaxis was not statistically significant (5.8% vs. 3.2% p = 0.37). We have observed a trend to longer overall survival in patients without prophylaxis (HR = 0.61, 95%CI = 0.32-1.13, p = 0.08). Patients with extragonadal GCT receiving VTE prophylaxis had significantly shorter survival compared to patients without prophylaxis (HR = 0.29, 95%CI = 0.08-1.12, p = 0.04). Conclusions: LMWH prophylaxis was not associated with decreased VTE incidence. Moreover, it was associated with shorter survival in extragonadal GCTs. Taking into account these data, LMWH prophylaxis during hospitalization should not be used in GCT patients receiving chemotherapy.

Effectiveness of Sequential Compression Devices in Prevention of Venous Thromboembolism in Medically Ill Hospitalized Patients: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Objective:To evaluate the effectiveness of sequential compression devices (SCDs) for venous thromboembolism (VTE) prevention in medically ill hospitalized patients.Materials and Methods:Adult patients admitted to a teaching hospital from April 2015 to March 2016 were included. Patients on anticoagulants with or without SCDs were excluded. We analyzed VTE risk, length of hospital stay, and other comorbidities among propensity score-matched patients on SCDs and those without thromboprophylaxis (NONE).Results:Among 30,824 patients, 67 patients (0.22%) developed VTE during their hospital stays, with deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in 55 cases and pulmonary embolism (PE) in 12. VTE was seen in 47 out of 20,018 patients on SCDs (41 DVT, 6 PE) and 20 out of 10,819 patients without SCDs (14 DVT, 6 PE). Risk-adjusted analysis showed no significant difference in VTE incidence in the SCD group compared to NONE (odds ratio 0.99, 95% confidence interval 0.57-1.73, p=0.74).Conclusion:Compared to the NONE group, SCDs are not associated with decreased VTE incidence during hospital stay.

Venous thromboprophylaxis after total hip arthroplasty: aspirin, warfarin, enoxaparin, or factor Xa inhibitors?

Debate over the ideal agent for venous thromboembolism (VTE) prophylaxis after total hip arthroplasty (THA) has led to changes in prescribing trends of commonly used agents. We investigate variation in utilisation and the differences in VTE incidence and bleeding risk in primary THA after administration of aspirin, warfarin, enoxaparin, or factor Xa inhibitors. 8829 patients were age/sex matched from a large database of primary THAs performed between 2007 and 2016. Utilisation was calculated using compound annual growth rate. Incidence of postoperative deep venous thrombosis (DVT), pulmonary embolism (PE), bleeding-related complications, postoperative anaemia, and transfusion were identified at 2 weeks, 30 days, 6 weeks, and 90 days. Aspirin use increased by 33%, enoxaparin by 7%, and factor Xa inhibitors by 31%. Warfarin use decreased by 1%. Factor Xa inhibitors (1.7%) and aspirin (1.7%) had the lowest incidence of DVT followed by enoxaparin (2.6%), and warfarin (3.7%) at 90 days. Factor Xa inhibitors (12%) and aspirin (12%) had the lowest incidence of blood transfusion followed by warfarin (15%) and enoxaparin (17%) at 90 days. There was no difference in incidence of blood transfusion or bleeding-related complications nor any detectable difference in symptomatic PE incidence. The utilisation of aspirin and factor Xa inhibitors increased over time. Aspirin and factor Xa inhibitors provided improved DVT prophylaxis with lower rates of postoperative anaemia compared to enoxaparin and warfarin.

Thromboprophylaxis in gynecologic cancer surgery: Is extended prophylaxis with low molecular weight heparin justified?

ObjectiveEvidence on the optimal duration of thromboprophylaxis with low molecular weight heparin after gynecologic cancer surgery is scarce and the benefits of extended prophylaxis have not been validated specifically in these patients. The aim of this study is to assess the efficacy and safety of postoperative venous thromboembolism (VTE) prophylaxis with enoxaparin 40 mg for 28 days, as recommended by international guidelines, compared to 7 days in patients undergoing surgery for gynecologic cancer. Study designProspective cohort study compared to a historic cohort of women who underwent surgery for gynecologic cancer in our center between 2004 and 2014. Pre- and postoperative screening with a routine duplex scan was done in the prospective cohort. Comparative analysis of comorbidity, surgical technique and incidence of VTE, as well as prognostic factors of events and mortality. ResultsN:571 patients (28 days: 207, 7 days: 364). No significant differences were identified between groups in regard to the factors related to VTE in our series. There were no differences in VTE incidence between groups after one month (1.9% vs 1.4%; p = 0.729), 90 days (2.4% vs 2.5%; p > 0.99) or during follow-up (Breslow p = 0.156). No deaths due to VTE at 90 days were recorded. Only one case of asymptomatic DVT was identified in the screening with duplex. The incidence of postoperative bleeding was similar in both groups (0.5% vs 2.2%; p = 0.166). The presence of a history of VTE was the only independent risk factor for VTE after one month (OR 14.31 CI 95% 2.67–76.87; p = 0.002) and 90 days (OR 8.27 CI 95% 1.65–41.45; p = 0.010). No differences were identified regarding age, other comorbidities, type of tumor, stage, surgical approach, reintervention or adjuvant therapy in the multivariate analysis. ConclusionExtended prophylaxis for 28 days with enoxaparin did not improve the rates of VTE following gynecologic oncological surgery in our series compared to the 7-day therapy, although neither was this extended duration associated with adverse events or mortality.

The Influence of Race on Plasma Thrombin Generation In Healthy Subjects In Singapore.

Race is touted as an independent risk factor for venous thromboembolism (VTE), although the basis for this is varied and contentious. Comparison of plasma thrombin generation (TG) using calibrated automated thrombogram (CAT) across races offers a modality that objectively measures global hemostatic function to evaluate this influence. Direct comparative data across races are currently not available. Aim is to establish the influence of race on plasma TG. Sixty normal participants, matched for age and gender, equally representing 4 races—Caucasian, Chinese, Indian, and Malay—were recruited. Thrombin generation parameters (lag time, time to peak, peak, and endogenous thrombin potential [ETP]) in platelet-poor plasma were measured using CAT. The mean ETP (standard deviation) for the different races were Caucasians: 1338.18 (194.19) nM·min; Chinese, 1318.91 (108.90) nM·min; Indians, 1389.81 (182.61) nM·min; and Malays, 1436.21 (184.24) nM·min. Caucasians had the longest mean lag time of 2.59 ± 0.37 seconds; Indians had the highest mean peak of 284.22 ± 30.74 nM, and Malays had the longest mean time to peak of 5.47 ± 0.59 seconds. Analysis based on race did not demonstrate any significant difference for all TG parameters. The greatest mean difference of ETP between any 2 races (Malays and Chinese) was 117.30 nM·min (95% confidence interval: −45.86 to 280.46 nM·min) which was within the predefined limit of equivalence. In a cohort of healthy participants, TG mediated by plasma factors is not influenced by race and does not explain the reported racial differences in VTE incidence. For the 4 racial groups studied, the use of separate normal ranges for plasma TG might not be essential.