Type Of Venous Thromboembolism Research Articles

The prevention, diagnosis and management of pregnancy-associated pulmonary embolism

Pregnancy-associated pulmonary embolism (PE) is a type of venous thromboembolism (VTE) that seriously threatens the lives of pregnant women and has gained more attention in clinical practice. Due to physiological and anatomical characteristics, the incidence of VTE during pregnancy and postpartum is significantly higher than that during non-pregnancy periods. Currently, guidelines widely acknowledge the exploration of appropriate risk assessment models to evaluate the risk of pregnancy-associated VTE and to take corresponding preventive measures from mechanical to medication methods according to different risk levels. For patients suspected of PE, initial assessments can be made based on whether they exhibit clinical manifestations of deep vein thrombosis, with options including vascular compression ultrasonography or chest X-ray examination. Confirmation relies on CT pulmonary angiography or V/Q imaging. For patients with shock, echocardiography can be quickly used for the diagnosis and differential diagnosis of PE. The management of pregnancy-associated pulmonary embolism PE depends on the patient's hemodynamic status, with options including reperfusion therapy or anticoagulation therapy. Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation may also be beneficial in high risk patients. The overall evidence level for the prevention and management of pregnancy-associated PE is low, and further exploration in clinical practice is still needed to promote the safety of pregnant women.

The Effectiveness and Safety of Rivaroxaban and Edoxaban in the Treatment of Lower Extremity Deep Vein Thrombosis

IntroductionDeep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a medical condition characterized by forming a blood clot, or thrombus, in one of the deep veins, typically in the legs. It is a type of venous thromboembolism (VTE), which refers to the formation of blood clots in the veins. It is caused by Virchow's triad (stasis, hypercoagulation, and endothelial injury). ObjectiveOur main objective is to explore the effectiveness and safety of Rivaroxaban and Edoxaban in treating lower extremity deep vein thrombosis. MethodsWe conducted a retrospective study involving 406 patients subjected to DVT treatment using DOACs (Edoxaban and Rivaroxaban) at our hospital. We recruited adult patients (18 years and above) diagnosed with lower extremity deep vein thrombosis and received treatment with either Rivaroxaban or Edoxaban as the primary anticoagulant therapy for DVT. We excluded patients who received treatment with other anticoagulant medications (warfarin heparin) as the primary therapy for DVT. ResultsThe groups showed statistically significant differences in red blood cell count and haemoglobin levels, with the Edoxaban group having high values. However, the two groups observed no statistically significant differences in creatinine clearance, white blood cell count, platelet count, C-reactive protein, and D-dimer levels. The difference in the incidence of PE between the two groups was statistically significant (P value < 0.001). The Edoxaban group had fewer PE patients than the rivaroxaban group. The reduction in recurrent thrombosis was significantly higher in the rivaroxaban group compared to the Edoxaban group. There were no significant differences in the major bleeding at various sites across the two treatment groups (p > 0.05). ConclusionRivaroxaban's pharmacokinetic profile includes rapid absorption and a relatively short half-life. It means that once administered, Rivaroxaban quickly reaches its peak concentration in the blood and is subsequently eliminated from the body within a relatively short period. Edoxaban's pharmacokinetic profile may include slower absorption and a longer half-life than Rivaroxaban. It can result in a slower rate of achieving peak concentration and a more prolonged presence in the bloodstream. These results emphasize the need for careful consideration of anticoagulant therapy in patients with underlying cancer and underscore the importance of managing risks while providing adequate anticoagulation to prevent thrombotic events.

Arterial Thromboembolism in Cancer Patients Treated with Apixaban

Introduction: Arterial thromboembolism is a rising concern in patients with cancer. Data considering incidence and risk factors are scarce. Here we describe arterial thrombosis in a cohort of cancer patients receiving apixaban as treatment for venous thromboembolism. Methods: A total of 298 cancer patients with any type of venous thromboembolism were treated up to 6 months with apixaban 5 mg twice daily. After six months, the 196 patients left in the study further received secondary prophylaxis with apixaban 2.5 mg twice daily for up to 30 months. Primary efficacy outcome was recurrent venous thromboembolism and safety outcome was bleeding. Arterial thromboembolism was registered as a serious adverse event during the whole study period. This is a post-hoc analysis of the arterial events. Results: Arterial events were registered in 16/298 (5.4 %, CI: 3.1-8.6) patients. Leucocyte count at baseline were higher (p=0.006) in patients with arterial thromboembolism compared to patients without arterial thromboembolism. Factors that increased the risk of arterial thromboembolism in our patient cohort was pancreatic cancer (OR: 11.41 (95 % CI: 3.81-34.17)), ovarian cancer (OR: 20 (95 % CI: 2.62-152.61)), BMI <22.3 (OR: 3.14 (95 % CI: 1.12-8.79)) and previous venous thromboembolism (OR: 4.673 (1.503-14.524)). Patients with pancreatic cancer had a much higher frequency of arterial thromboembolism than other cancers (figure 1). During the first 6 months, 7/25 (28 %, CI: 12-49)) patients with pancreatic cancer had a stroke. Among pancreatic cancer patients, d-dimer at baseline was higher in those who experienced arterial thromboembolism compared to those who did not (p=0.037). Conclusion: In our cohort of cancer patients treated for venous thromboembolism with apixaban, there seems to be an increased risk of arterial thromboembolism in patients with pancreatic cancer, low BMI and previous venous thromboembolism. High leukocyte count may be a biomarker for increased risk of arterial thrombosis. Figure 1View largeDownload PPTFigure 1View largeDownload PPT Close modal

Plantar Vein Thrombosis in the Medial Branch of the Posterior Tibial Vein: A Case Report

Plantar vein thrombosis (PVT) is an atypical cause of plantar heel pain and is seldom reported in the literature. We present a unique, rare case report of a patient exhibiting plantar heel and medial arch pain caused by thrombosis in the plantar medial branch of the posterior tibial vein. The diagnosis was made by means of magnetic resonance imaging, showing lobulated hypointensity in the medial plantar vein, consistent with a PVT. In this article, we provide an overview of the clinical signs of PVT, which is most commonly plantar heel pain. Furthermore, we discuss ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging as diagnostic modalities, and conservative treatment options, including anti-inflammatory medications, anticoagulation therapy, and compression therapy. As with other types of venous thromboembolism, this condition must also be diagnosed without delay to avoid potential complications.

Cerebral Venous Thrombosis.

Cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT) is a rare form of stroke that often affects younger age groups, especially reproductive age group females. CVT is a potentially fatal neurological condition that can be frequently overlooked due to the vague nature of its clinical and radiological presentation. Headache is the most common presenting symptom. However, a wide range of symptoms can be present and the symptom onset can be acute, subacute, or chronic. Neuroimaging is mandatory in cases where CVT is suspected. Both magnetic resonance venography and computed tomography venography can confirm a diagnosis of CVT. Anticoagulation with low-molecular-weight heparin is the mainstay of treatment. Intracranial hemorrhage is not considered a contraindication to the use of anticoagulants in CVT. Endovascular intervention is still controversial but can be a treatment option for patients with neurological deterioration or thrombus progression, despite the use of anticoagulation or with development of new or worsening intracerebral hemorrhage. Patients with CVT have an increased risk of recurrence of CVT and other types of venous thromboembolism. This review provides an overview of the epidemiology, diagnosis, and treatment of CVT in adults. Commentary about increased presentation of CVT in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), or after immunization against COVID-19, is also provided.

Pulmonary embolism during cesarean section in a patient with severe pulmonary hypertension.

Pulmonary embolism (PE) is the most serious type of venous thromboembolism, and pregnancy related PE, while uncommon, is likely to be fatal [1]. PE is one of the main causes of maternal death in high-income countries. At present, there are a limited number of reports about the entire process of PE- it is thought that PE is caused by vein thrombosis and detachment of a thrombus, which can be detected by echocardiography [2, 3].

Improving Value in Emergency Department Management of Deep Vein Thrombosis

Background: Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a common diagnosis with a worldwide incidence of 10 million cases per year. The diagnosis requires treatment with anticoagulation that can have both high cost and high risk for bleeding and has traditionally been managed with an inpatient admission. Recent guideline updates from the American Society of Hematology have demonstrated that patients meeting certain criteria can be managed as an outpatient. A retrospective chart review of patients presenting for acute DVT in 2019 demonstrated 58.1% of patients who met criteria for outpatient management were admitted. In order to improve value of care for UF Health patients presenting to the Emergency Department (ED) for acute DVT, a multidisciplinary team consisting of physicians from the departments of Hematology and Emergency Medicine developed a step-by-step ED treatment pathway for the management of acute DVT based on evidenced-based guidelines. The project goal was to achieve less than a 25% admission rate for patient's meeting outpatient management criteria within 1 year.Methods: Recent American Society of Hematology anticoagulation management guidelines supporting outpatient management of DVT presented an opportunity to reduce cost to patients while maintaining safety and improving resource utilization and evidence-based practice. To identify patients that are safe for outpatient management, the HAS-BLED risk stratification tool was implemented. To improve both quality of outpatient treatment and patient compliance, recommended treatment options were updated to reflect current practice standards with an appropriate emphasis on direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs). Finally, a standard documentation template was created for patients being discharged to reduce variation in post-discharge recommendations. A cause-and-effect diagram and interviews were utilized to determine the reasons for patient management decisions including disposition and choice of anticoagulation. These quality improvement tools were added to the ED treatment pathway, which was published in the standard location for similar clinical tools for ED clinicians at our institution. Furthermore, lectures were given at the Emergency Medicine residency conference to educate clinicians on the updates and answer questions.We subsequently reviewed charts of applicable ED encounters. A run chart was utilized to monitor admission and discharge rates over time. ED encounters with assigned ICD codes for acute and acute-on-chronic lower extremity DVT were reviewed for data collection.Outcomes: Chart review of ED patient encounters for acute DVT in 2019 demonstrated 255 cases. Of those, 93 patients were identified as meeting criteria for outpatient management. Only 41.9% (n=39) of patients who met criteria for outpatient management were discharged. Unexpectedly, 92% of all encounters did not document bleeding risk. Review of data from January through October 2020 demonstrated an overall decreased incidence of encounters for acute DVT. This is likely a reflection of decreased ED encounters in the setting of the COVID-19 pandemic. Over a 10-month period, 38 patients met criteria for outpatient management. Of these, 76.3% (n=29) of patients meeting criteria for outpatient management for DVT were discharged and 23.7% (N=9) were admitted. This demonstrates a significant improvement in admission rates (59.2% relative reduction) compared to a 58.1% admission rate in 2019 and met our goal of less than 25% admission rate. Furthermore, 89.7% (N=26) of patients who were discharged were prescribed direct oral anticoagulants. Similar to 2019, bleeding risk was documented in only 6.9% of discharged patients. This was an unexpected finding and while not the primary objective of the project, certainly demonstrates a significant opportunity for further care improvements.Conclusions: The next PDSA cycle will focus on appropriate use of bleeding risk stratification tools and documentation of bleeding risk. Of note, 37.3% of admitted patients who did not meet outpatient management criteria were not discharged because of a concomitant pulmonary embolism. This may present an additional future opportunity for improving value of care for patients with different types of venous thromboembolism. [Display omitted] DisclosuresNo relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

Current Trends in the Duration of Anticoagulant Therapy for Venous Thromboembolism: A Systematic Review.

Anticoagulation therapy is the first line and drug of choice for both the treatment and prophylaxis of venous thromboembolism (deep vein thrombosis and/or pulmonary embolism). Anticoagulation drugs, ranging from different preparations of heparin, warfarin, and newer direct oral drugs such as rivaroxaban and dabigatran, work mainly by inhibiting important factors and enzymes in the coagulation cascade by preventing fibrin formation, platelet aggregation, and clot assembly. With recurrent thrombosis and embolisms being a feared complication for many physicians treating such cases, anticoagulation is often extended beyond the initial three- to six-month acute phase after an incident of venous thromboembolism. For some groups of patients, anticoagulation needs to be offered indefinitely to decrease the risk of a recurrent thrombosis. However, this concomitantly increases obvious and dangerous adverse effects such as increased risk of hemorrhage, as the ability to clot is hindered. This tradeoff between recurrent venous thromboembolism and bleeding is what underscores the controversy of the clinical question: for how long should anticoagulation be administered for venous thromboembolism? This review analyzes the use of anticoagulants in different types of venous thromboembolism and remarks on current consensus and trends on the length of anticoagulation treatment. We are doing so while acknowledging that venous thromboembolism management is an active area of research that is rapidly evolving. A literature search was performed looking at recent studies on anticoagulant administration for the treatment of venous thromboembolism with a focus on varying durations and patient populations. Factors that affect clinical decisions of duration are also elucidated. The most clinically relevant anticoagulants were discussed and their effects on the risk of recurrent thrombosis and embolism, and the risk of bleeding in relation to other drugs were analyzed. Ultimately, this article discussed patterns of anticoagulant treatments duration and which patient groups are likely to benefit the most from certain durations, shedding light on the ambiguity in how physicians should approach administering anticoagulation therapy over time for a broad range of presentations of venous thromboembolism.

The epidemiological characteristics of thromboembolism related to oral contraceptives in Japan: Results of a national survey

The aim of this study was to reveal the epidemiological characteristics of thromboembolism related to combined oral contraceptives (COCs) in Japan. A survey of confirmed thromboembolism patients among Japanese COC users was conducted at randomly selected hospitals from across Japan. The survey examined six types of venous thromboembolism (VTE) and arterial thromboembolism (ATE) in all COC users: pulmonary embolism, deep vein thrombosis, other venous thrombosis, cerebral infarction, myocardial infarction, and other arterial thrombosis. The survey covered 5 years from 2009 to 2013. This study was approved in an ethical review by Hamamatsu University School of Medicine. Four hundred and twenty-five cases clearly related to COCs were analyzed. The annual estimated incidence rates per 10 000 person-years of VTE, ATE and all thromboembolisms in all COC users were 1.17, 0.33 and 1.50, respectively. The incidence of thromboembolism was 35.2% within 30 days from the start of COCs, 53.8% within 90 days, 66.9% within 180 days and 78.2% within 360 days regardless of progestin type. Age adjusted odds ratios in the obese and underweight groups were 2.33 and 0.98 for overall thromboembolism, 2.59 and 0.77 for VTE, and 1.11 and 1.28 for ATE compared with the standard group, respectively. Odds ratios for thromboembolism in non-O blood groups were 1.89 for overall thromboembolism, 2.16 for VTE, and 1.35 for ATE, when compared with the O blood group. The epidemiological characteristics of COC-related thromboembolisms were revealed in this national survey covering the years from 2009 to 2013.

Evaluation of the role of Nrf2/Keap1 pathway-associated novel mutations and gene expression on antioxidant status in patients with deep vein thrombosis.

Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a type of venous thromboembolism and a clinically complex vascular disease. Oxidative stress serves a key role in the pathogenesis of numerous cardiovascular diseases, particularly in endothelial dysfunction-associated syndromes. Nuclear factor erythroid-2-like 2(Nrf2) transcription factor is the primary regulator of antioxidant responses. The levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) are regulated by Nrf2 and its suppressor protein Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (Keap1). However, to the best of our knowledge, genetic abnormalites in the Nrf2/Keap1 pathway in DVT syndrome have not been thoroughly investigated. The aim of the present study was to investigate the association between the Nrf2/Keap1 pathway and antioxidant responses in DVT. Mutations and expression levels of genes involved in the Nrf2/Keap1 pathway were measured in 27 patients with DVT via DNA sequencing analysis and reverse transcription-quantitative PCR, respectively. The Polymorphism Phenotyping v2 program was used to identify the pathogenic mutations. Total antioxidant activity levels were determined by measuring the effect of serum samples from 27 patients with DVT on oxidation of the 2,2'-azino-bis (3-ethylbenz-thiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) system. A total of 23 mutations, including seven novel mutations, were detected in the Nrf2/Keap1 pathway in 24 (89%) of the 27 patients with DVT. Keap1 mRNA expression levels were significantly higher compared with Nrf2 expression levels in patients with DVT (P=0.02). Analysis of molecular characteristics and gene expression levels demonstrated that Nrf2/Keap1-associated mutations and total antioxidant levels can be used as precursor markers in the diagnosis of DVT.

National survey of confirmed thromboembolism related to female hormones in Japan.

The aim of this study was to determine the number of thromboembolism patients among Japanese users of female hormones. A survey of confirmed thromboembolism patients among Japanese users of female hormones was conducted at randomly selected hospitals from across Japan. The survey examined six types of venous thromboembolism (VTE) and arterial thromboembolism (ATE) in all users of female hormones, including women and men: pulmonary embolism (PE), deep vein thrombosis (DVT), other venous thrombosis (other VTE), cerebral infarction (stroke), myocardial infarction (MI) and other arterial thrombosis (other ATE). The survey covered 5 years from 2009 to 2013. This study was approved in an ethical review by the Hamamatsu University School of Medicine. The overall number of thromboembolism patients over the 5 years was estimated to be about 3211. They included 452 patients with PE, 795 with DVT, 157 with other VTE, 1228 with stroke, 478 with MI and 101 with other ATE. Among the abovementioned conditions, detailed information was available for 750 thromboembolism patients (645 women and 105 men), including 63 PE, 203 DVT, 159 PE + DVT, 65 other VTE, 189 stroke, 35 MI, 21 other ATE and 15 other cases. Thromboembolism increased year by year. The number of VTE was larger than that of ATE in younger people who used female hormones, while the number of ATE was larger than that of VTE in older people who used female hormones. The number and characteristics of thromboembolism patients among Japanese female hormone users were revealed in this national survey.

Rivaroxaban Versus Warfarin and Risk of Post-Thrombotic Syndrome Among Patients with Venous Thromboembolism

BackgroundThe effectiveness of rivaroxaban to reduce post-thrombotic syndrome in patients with venous thromboembolism is largely unknown. We compared rates of post-thrombotic syndrome in patients given rivaroxaban versus warfarin in a cohort of patients with incident venous thromboembolism receiving routine clinical care. MethodsWe linked Danish nationwide registries to identify all patients with incident venous thromboembolism who were new users of rivaroxaban or warfarin and compared rates of post-thrombotic syndrome using an inverse probability of treatment-weighting approach to account for baseline confounding. ResultsWe identified 19,957 oral anticoagulation–naive patients with incident venous thromboembolism treated with warfarin or rivaroxaban (mean age, 64 years; 48% were female, 45.5% had pulmonary embolism). The propensity-weighted rate of post-thrombotic syndrome at 3 years follow-up was 0.53 incidents per 100 person-years with rivaroxaban versus 0.55 per 100 person-years with warfarin, yielding a hazard rate of 0.88 (95% confidence interval, 0.66-1.17). This association remained consistent across types of venous thromboembolism (deep venous thrombosis vs pulmonary embolism, and provoked vs unprovoked venous thromboembolism) and when censoring patients with recurrent venous thromboembolism. ConclusionsIn this clinical practice setting, rivaroxaban was associated with lower but statistically nonsignificant rates of post-thrombotic syndrome, which did not appear to be mediated only by an effect on recurrent venous thromboembolism.

Long‐term risk of venous thromboembolism recurrence after isolated superficial vein thrombosis

Essentials Long-term risk of recurrence of isolated superficial vein thrombosis (SVT) is under-studied. We analyzed data from a cohort of first SVT and proximal deep vein thrombosis (DVT) without cancer. The risk of recurrence as DVT or pulmonary embolism is twice lower in SVT patients. However, overall risk of recurrence is similar between SVT and proximal DVT patients. Click to hear Dr Decousus' perspective on superficial vein thrombosis SUMMARY: Background Isolated superficial vein thrombosis (iSVT) (without concomitant deep vein thrombosis [DVT] or pulmonary embolism [PE]) is a frequent event, but available data on long-term outcomes are scarce and retrospective. Therefore, we aimed to determine prospectively the risk and type of venous thromboembolism (VTE) recurrence after iSVT and compare them with those of proximal DVT. Methods Using data from the prospective, multicenter, observational, OPTIMEV study, we assessed, at 3 years and after anticoagulants were stopped, the incidence and the type of VTE recurrence (iSVT/DVT/PE) of patients with a first objectively confirmed iSVT without cancer (n = 285), and compared these with those of patients with a first proximal DVT without cancer (n = 262). Results As compared with proximal DVT patients, iSVT patients had a similar overall incidence of VTE recurrence (5.4% per patient-year [PY] versus 6.5% per PY, adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 0.9, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.5-1.6), but iSVT recurred six times more often as iSVT (2.7% versus 0.6%, aHR 5.9, 95% CI 1.3-27.1) and 2.5 times less often as deep-VTE events (2.5% versus 5.9%, aHR 0.4, 95% CI 0.2-0.9). Varicose vein status did not influence the risk or the type of VTE recurrence. Saphenian junction involvement by iSVT was not associated with a higher risk of recurrence (5.2% per PY versus 5.4% per PY), but was associated with recurrence exclusively as deep-VTE events. Conclusion In patients with a first iSVT without cancer, after stopping anticoagulants, the incidence of deep-VTE recurrence is half that of DVT patients, but the overall risk of recurrence is similar. Ssaphenian junction involvement seems to influence the risk of deep-VTE recurrence, whereas varicose vein status has no impact or a low impact on VTE recurrence.

Risk of Pulmonary Embolism After Cerebral Venous Thrombosis.

Cerebral vein thrombosis (CVT) is a type of venous thromboembolism. Whether the risk of pulmonary embolism (PE) after CVT is similar to the risk after deep venous thrombosis (DVT) is unknown. We performed a retrospective cohort study using administrative data from all emergency department visits and hospitalizations in California, New York, and Florida from 2005 to 2013. We identified patients with CVT or DVT and the outcome of PE using previously validated International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification codes. Kaplan-Meier survival statistics and Cox proportional hazards models were used to compare the risk of PE after CVT versus PE after DVT. We identified 4754 patients with CVT and 241 276 with DVT. During a mean follow-up of 3.4 (±2.4) years, 138 patients with CVT and 23 063 with DVT developed PE. CVT patients were younger, more often female, and had fewer risk factors for thromboembolism than patients with DVT. During the index hospitalization, the rate of PE was 1.4% (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.1%-1.8%) in patients with CVT and 6.6% (95% CI, 6.5%-6.7%) in patients with DVT. By 5 years, the cumulative rate of PE after CVT was 3.4% (95% CI, 2.9%-4.0%) compared with 10.9% (95% CI, 10.8%-11.0%; P<0.001) after DVT. CVT was associated with a lower adjusted hazard of PE than DVT (hazard ratio, 0.26; 95% CI, 0.22-0.31). The risk of PE after CVT was significantly lower than the risk after DVT. Among patients with CVT, the greatest risk for PE was during the index hospitalization.

Sex-related type of venous thromboembolism in patients with and without thrombophilia

Sex-related type of venous thromboembolism in patients with and without thrombophilia

Long-term outcomes of venous thrombosis in children

Venous thromboembolism has become an increasingly recognized clinical entity in children over the past decade. Recently, important efforts have been made to track post thrombotic outcomes. The present review discusses the knowledge gained from seminal studies in the field over the past decade, with particular emphasis on the findings of numerous published reports on outcomes of various types of venous thromboembolism in the pediatric literature from January 2003 to January 2005. Large cohort studies involving acute venous thromboembolism of all types in children have recently confirmed a rather low frequency of recurrent venous thromboembolism, but have shown a lack of thrombus resolution following standard-duration anticoagulant therapy in as many as 50% of patients. In addition, the development of the post thrombotic syndrome has been demonstrated in greater than one third of children with venous thromboembolism involving the extremities. Persistent thrombosis despite adequate anticoagulation has been independently associated with complete vaso-occlusion at diagnosis. Furthermore, the presence of elevated levels of factor VIII and D-dimer either at diagnosis or following three to six months anticoagulation has now been defined as a predictor of adverse long-term outcomes of pediatric thrombosis. This body of work indicates that the various forms of venous thromboembolism in children are in general associated with a considerable degree of adverse outcomes, particularly in the form of venous thromboembolism-related mortality, recurrent thromboembolism, and development of post thrombotic syndrome. Advances in the prediction of post thrombotic outcomes have begun, and must continue to facilitate a risk-stratified approach to antithrombotic management in children, and to ultimately achieve meaningful improvements in long-term outcomes.