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Acute Venous Thromboembolism (acute + venous_thromboembolism)
Selected AbstractsProtein C and protein S levels can be accurately determined within 24 hours of diagnosis of acute venous thromboembolismINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF LABORATORY HEMATOLOGY, Issue 1 2006M. J. KOVACS Summary In the 50% of cases of acute idiopathic venous thromboembolism, laboratory testing for inherited causes is often performed. Most physicians are under the impression that assays for protein C and protein S should not be measured at the time of diagnosis because of a high false positive rate. We performed a prospective cohort study from two outpatient thromboembolism clinics on consecutive patients with an objectively confirmed diagnosis of first acute idiopathic venous thromboembolism. Assays for protein C and protein S were performed prior to the initiation of oral anticoagulation therapy and within 24 h of diagnosis of venous thromboembolism. Abnormal results were repeated when patients discontinued oral anticoagulant therapy. Of 253 patients tested for both protein C and protein S, 229 (91%; 95% confidence interval 87,94%) were negative and 484 of 508 (95%) tests were normal. Of the 24 initial abnormal results, 21 were repeated and 10 (48%; 95% confidence interval 26,70%) were still abnormal. Overall, 97.8% of initial protein C and protein S results were accurate. If protein C and protein S are measured at the time of diagnosis of acute venous thromboembolism, the majority of the results will be normal and false positives are uncommon. [source] Body mass index and mortality in patients with acute venous thromboembolism: findings from the RIETE registryJOURNAL OF THROMBOSIS AND HAEMOSTASIS, Issue 4 2008R. BARBA Summary.,Background:,There is little information on the influence of body mass index (BMI) on mortality in patients with acute venous thromboembolism (VTE). Patients and methods:,RIETE is an ongoing registry of consecutive patients with symptomatic, objectively confirmed, acute VTE. We examined the association between BMI and mortality during the first 3 months of therapy. Results:,Of the 10 114 patients enrolled as of March 2007: 153 (1.5%) were underweight (BMI < 18.5); 2882 (28%) had a normal weight (BMI 18.5,24.9); 4327 (43%) were overweight (BMI 25.0,30); and 2752 (27%) were obese (BMI > 30). The overweight and obese patients were significantly older, and were less likely to have had cancer, recent immobility or renal insufficiency. After 3 months of therapy their death rates were 28%, 12%, 6.2% and 4.2%, respectively. In multivariate analysis, the relative risks for death after adjusting for confounding variables including age, cancer, renal insufficiency or idiopathic VTE were: 2.1 (95% CI, 1.5,2.7); 1.0 (reference); 0.6 (95% CI, 0.5,0.7); and 0.5 (95% CI, 0.4,0.6), respectively. The rates of fatal pulmonary embolism (2.0%, 2.1%, 1.2% and 0.8%, respectively) also decreased with BMI. There were no differences in the rate of fatal bleeding, but patients who were underweight had an increased incidence of major bleeding complications (7.2% vs. 2.7%; odds ratio, 2.7; 95% CI, 1.4,5.1). Conclusions:,Obese patients with acute VTE have less than half the mortality rate when compared with normal BMI patients. This reduction in mortality rates was consistent among all subgroups and persisted after multivariate adjustment. [source] Effect of obesity on outcomes after fondaparinux, enoxaparin, or heparin treatment for acute venous thromboembolism in the Matisse trialsJOURNAL OF THROMBOSIS AND HAEMOSTASIS, Issue 6 2007B. L. DAVIDSON Summary.,Background: Selecting initial anticoagulant dose by patient weight for acute pulmonary embolism and deep vein thrombosis has clinical credibility; however, uncertainty remains regarding how to dose obese patients with newer anticoagulants because outcome data are sparse. Objectives: To use the Matisse trials' comparison of sc fondaparinux once daily with control heparin therapies (intravenous unfractionated heparin for pulmonary embolism, sc enoxaparin 1 mg/kg b.i.d. for deep vein thrombosis) for initial treatment in order to compare primary outcomes (venous thromboembolism recurrence and major bleeding) in obese patients. Patients and methods: Primary outcomes were compared in subsets composed of patients weighing , and > 100 kg and with body mass index (BMI) < 30 and , 30 kg/m2. Medians and ranges for weight and BMI were compared for patients suffering either recurrence or major bleeding. Results: Twenty-two thousand and one patients received fondaparinux and 2217 received enoxaparin or unfractionated heparin. Four hundred and ninety-six patients (11%) weighed > 100 kg and 1216 (28%) had a BMI , 30. Treatment groups had similar characteristics. The upper limit in subject weight for recurrence was 166 kg (BMI 58), and for major bleeding 120 kg (BMI 39). The incidences of recurrence and major bleeding were similar for each patient subset of weight and BMI for both fondaparinux and heparin treatment groups. Among patients with a primary outcome, median weights and BMIs were also similar. Conclusions: The current recommended doses of fondaparinux and heparins for the treatment of venous thromboembolism appear to provide similar protection against recurrence and major bleeding to one another and to obese and non-obese patients. [source] Could Prolonged Air Travel Be Causally Associated with Subclavian Vein Thromboembolism?JOURNAL OF TRAVEL MEDICINE, Issue 1 2002Theodore Teruya Background: Air travel associated with venous thromboembolism has recently achieved public awareness due to intense media coverage. The interest has focused on deep vein thrombosis (DVT) of the lower limbs with pulmonary embolism. The World Health Organization (WHO) is planning several international multicenter trials to study the problem and, if it exists, try to find a means for prevention. Methods: This is a case presentation of acute venous thromboembolism of the upper limbs associated with long-haul flights. Five patients were admitted to Straub Hospital in Honolulu after 5 to 10 hours' flight. Results: Patient 1 had a previous shoulder injury with DVT; patient 2 had chronic atrial fibrillation; patients 3 and 5 had clavicular fractures; and patient 4 had a subclavian vein compression. Conclusion: It is not possible to draw any conclusions about the association between air flights and subclavian vein thrombosis from this small retrospective case study. Our objective was to indicate the possibility of such a relationship. [source] Low molecular weight heparin (dalteparin) for the treatment of venous thromboembolism in pregnancyBJOG : AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF OBSTETRICS & GYNAECOLOGY, Issue 2 2003Anne Flem Jacobsen Objective To evaluate the effect and dose of dalteparin given to pregnant women with acute venous thromboembolism. Design An observational study of pregnant women in Norway. Setting Delivery and haematological departments in Norway. Population Twenty women, aged 22,41 years, with acute venous thromboembolism verified by objective means. Methods Patients were treated with dalteparin from diagnosis until delivery. Treatment was monitored with anti-activated factor Xa (anti-Xa) activity, and the dose was adjusted to achieve target 0.5,1.0 U/mL 2,3 hours post-injection. Main outcome measure Anti-Xa activity and side effects. Result None of the patients suffered recurrent venous thromboembolism or major bleeding complications. In 9 of 13 women starting with conventional dose of dalteparin (100 iu/kg bd), dose escalation was necessary to reach target anti-Xa activity. None of the six women who started with 105,118 iu/kg bd required dose escalation. One woman who started with 133 iu/kg bd required dose reduction. Bioaccumulation of dalteparin was not observed. Conclusion Our study suggests that dalteparin may be used for the treatment of acute venous thromboembolism in pregnancy. Approximately 10,20% higher doses of dalteparin may be needed as compared with non-pregnant individuals. [source] |