[Update on current care guidelines. Deep thrombosis and pulmonary embolism].
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
SEARCH · PubMed Health
Explore indexed PubMed citations for clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health research. Read source abstracts and follow each citation to its original PubMed record.
Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Recent advances in the management of patients with suspected VTE have resulted in improvements in the diagnostic testing accuracy and the development of management algorithms that are safer and more accessible. Ongoing clinical trials are evaluating whether these diagnostic management strategies can be made even simpler and less expensive. Diagnostic procedures for VTE continue to be refined, and modalities, such as magnetic resonance imaging and spiral CT, have the potential to further increase the accuracy of the investigation approach. There is still need to improve management strategies for the diagnosis of recurrent venous thrombosis and to determine whether diagnostic testing results may be correlated with long-term patient treatment needs.
We conducted a noncurrent prospective study of all Olmsted County, Minnesota, residents who had had a lower-extremity venogram, pulmonary angiogram, or lung scan performed because of suspicion of deep venous thrombosis or pulmonary emboli. One hundred thirteen cancer-free patients were followed for 386 person-years from the date of procedure. Nine subsequent cancers were observed compared with 4.5 expected (relative risk, 2.0; 95% confidence interval, 0.9 to 3.8), using total cancer incidence rates for the Rochester, Minn, population. Five hundred seventeen cancer-free controls were followed for 2072 person-years. Twenty subsequent cancers were observed compared with 11.6 expected, yielding a relative risk of 1.7 (95% confidence interval, 1.1 to 2.7). When cases and controls were compared directly, no statistically significant difference in cancer-free survival was found.
Prophylactic efficacy and safety of a low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) and those of conventional unfractionated heparin (UH) were investigated in a randomized study. Totally, 167 consecutive patients undergoing total hip replacement were allocated to two groups. Patients in the LMWH-group (n = 83) received a fixed dose of enoxaparin 40 mg once daily, starting 12 hours preoperatively and continuing for 10 days. Patients in the UH-group (n = 84) received UH 5000 IU twice a day subcutaneously (sc), starting two hours before operation and continuing for 10 days. Deep venous thrombosis (DVT) was diagnosed by bilateral ultrasonography and confirmed by venography. Proximal DVTs were observed in four patients of UH-group (4.8%) and in one of LMWH-group (1.2%, P > 0.05). There was only one pulmonary embolism (PE) in a patient belonging to UH-group (1.2%). Low rates of thromboembolic events could be explained, in addition to heparin prophylaxis, also by early mobilization and regional anaesthesia. Local tolerance (size of haematoma), blood loss and transfusion requirements during the operation and the postoperative period did not show differences between the two study groups. The results of our study indicate that enoxaparin once daily is an effective and safe form of DVT prophylaxis in patients undergoing elective hip replacement.
OBJECTIVE: To determine the outcome of withholding anticoagulation from patients with suspected acute pulmonary embolism in whom computed tomographic (CT) findings are interpreted as negative for pulmonary embolism. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This retrospective cohort study included 1512 consecutive patients referred from August 7, 1997, to November 30, 1998, for CT because of clinically suspected acute pulmonary embolism. All patients were examined by electron beam CT, and scanning was performed in a cephalocaudad direction from the top of the aortic arch to the base of the heart with 3-mm collimation, 2-mm table incrementation, and an exposure time of 0.2 second (130 peak kV, 620 mA, and standard reconstruction algorithm). Contrast material was infused at a rate of 3 to 4 mL/s through an antecubital vein with an automated injector. Findings on CT were interpreted as either positive or negative. The main outcome measures were deep venous thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, and vital status within 3 months after the CT scan and the cause of death based on medical record review, mailed patient questionnaires, and telephone interviews. RESULTS: In 1010 patients (67%) CT scans were interpreted as negative for acute pulmonary embolism. Seventeen patients were excluded because they received anticoagulation. Of the remaining 993 patients, deep venous thrombosis or pulmonary embolism developed in 8; 118 patients died, 3 of pulmonary embolism. Nineteen patients were known to be alive, but additional clinical information could not be obtained. The 3-month cumulative incidence of overall deep venous thrombosis or pulmonary embolism was 0.5% (95% confidence interval, 0.1%-1.0%) and of fatal pulmonary embolism, 0.3% (95% confidence interval, 0.0%-0.7%). CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of (1) overall deep venous thrombosis or pulmonary embolism or (2) fatal pulmonary embolism among patients with suspected acute pulmonary embolism, negative CT results, and no other evidence of venous thromboembolism is low. Withholding anticoagulation in these patients appears to be safe.
Pulmonary embolism remains one of the most common causes of in-hospital death. Mortality is much greater in those patients who remain undiagnosed and without specific treatment. Thrombolytic therapy is a vital addition to the treatment of pulmonary embolism, deep venous thrombosis, and arterial thromboembolism.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
We report our 5-year experience concerning pulmonary embolism (PE). Between 1985 and 1990, 15 consecutive patients with symptomatic acute serious PE were referred to our observation: 6 underwent urgent surgical treatment (3 with cardiogenic shock, 2 with massive PE and 1 with right atrium embolism) and 9 patients underwent thrombolytic therapy which resulted successful in 3 cases, while in the remaining 6 cases a subsequent pulmonary embolectomy was performed. Therefore 11 patients underwent pulmonary embolectomy and the operative mortality rate was 27.5% (3 cases). Lower extremity deep venous thrombosis is associated with the highest risk of PE (90%). The PE mortality rate in untreated patients is reported to be 38%. In treated patients the mortality rate is approximately 8%. In most of the cases medical treatment of the thromboembolic disease is successful but in case of early failure of anticoagulant and/or thrombolytic therapy or contraindication to, surgical treatment is required. Surgeon's role is important at any time in the natural history of the thromboembolic disease: preventive (venous thrombectomy or inferior vena caval interruption) or therapeutical surgical proceedings for manifest PE (pulmonary embolectomy in extracorporeal circulation) can be performed. The last proceeding is required in no more than 3-6% of cases, but its mortality rate is still high (11-55%) related to the clinical status of the patients whose condition worsens despite intensive medical treatment.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Two anticoagulant regimens, similar except for the timing of warfarin therapy, were compared in patients with clinically submassive venous thromboembolism (VTE). Warfarin was begun after 7 days of continuous intravenous heparin infusion in group L (127 patients) or within 3 days (average 1 day) of starting heparin in group S (139 patients), with similar outcomes. The frequency of symptomatic VTE recurrence during the hospital stay was 4.7% in group L and 3.6% in group S, and that of symptomless new perfusion defects 8.5% in group L and 3.9% in group S. On routine iodine-125-fibrinogen leg scanning of patients presenting with distal thrombosis (in the calf, popliteal, or distal femoral veins) 3.6% of group S but no group L patients had symptomless proximal extension. The incidence of bleeding was similar with both regimens. Outpatient follow-up showed no excess recurrent VTE in either treatment group. Early warfarin treatment significantly shortened hospital stay by an average of 3.9 days (30%) in patients admitted solely because of VTE.
Prothrombin fragments (F1+2) can be used to monitor oral anticoagulation; their generation is also suppressed by heparin. We studied the course of F1+2, aPTT, heparin doses administered and heparin concentrations, as well as prothrombin time, during the first 7 days of heparin therapy (target aPTT 70 s) and overlapping oral anticoagulation (target INR 2-3) in 26 patients routinely treated for deep venous thrombosis (deep venous thrombosis +/- pulmonary embolism, 23 patients) or pulmonary embolism with a history of recurring deep venous thrombosis (3 patients). Although we found significant suppression of F1+2 between all pre- and post-treatment values, a transient, significant increase was seen on days 2-4. The amount of heparin given was stable from day 1-5; the fact of a transient increase in F1+2 might thus indicate that heparin doses routinely used are too low for the treatment of hypercoagulability in deep venous thrombosis in patients. We also found a decrease in heparin concentration on day 2, which may be explicable by changed pharmacokinetics of heparin in individuals with deep venous thrombosis. In conclusion, F1+2 may be useful for monitoring heparin treatment and oral anticoagulation in deep venous thrombosis patients from a laboratory point of view. However, larger studies are necessary to confirm these results. It remains to be clarified whether monitoring of anticoagulation by molecular markers might improve therapy of deep venous thrombosis. Such studies are in progress.
After 50 years of clinical use anticoagulants are still the mainstay of treatment for venous thromboembolism. Several studies have demonstrated that failure to attain or to maintain an adequate anticoagulant effect with heparin after venous thromboembolism is associated with an increased risk of recurrence. The safety and effectiveness of heparin administered by continuous intravenous infusion has been compared with administration by intermittent intravenous injection; three studies reported less bleeding with the former. The relative efficacy and safety of continuous intravenous and intermittent subcutaneous heparin appear to be comparable. The readily available and relatively inexpensive activated partial thromboplastin time test is used most commonly to monitor heparin therapy. Recent audits indicate that current practices in the administration of heparin are often suboptimal because of an inadequate starting dose, a delay in obtaining or responding to activated partial thromboplastin time test results, or inappropriate adjustments of heparin doses. Attempts have recently been made to improve practices in the administration of heparin by developing a standardization protocol. Recommendations for patient management are discussed.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.