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PubMed1998

Assessment of thrombin inhibitor efficacy in a novel rabbit model of simultaneous arterial and venous thrombosis.

The importance of thrombin in arterial and venous thrombosis renders thrombin inhibition an important therapeutic target. Identification of novel inhibitors requires an appropriate animal model. We modified a previously reported rat arterial thrombosis model to allow simultaneous assessment of the arterial and venous antithrombotic efficacies of heparin, hirudin, hirulog, a novel thrombin inhibitor H-(N-Me-D-Phe)-Pro-L-trans-4-aminocyclohexyl-Gly-[CO-CO]-NHCH3+ ++ (L-370,518) and the factor Xa inhibitor tick anticoagulant peptide in rabbits. Thrombosis was induced through application of 70% ferric chloride to the femoral artery and jugular vein. Incidence of occlusion, thrombus weight, aPTT and plasma inhibitor concentrations were determined. Heparin was efficacious in preventing arterial and venous occlusive thrombosis but at a dose that profoundly elevated aPTT. On a molar dosing basis, the approximate order of potency of the thrombin and factor Xa inhibitors was similar in artery and vein: hirudin>tick anticoagulant peptide>hirulog> or =L-370,518. Data suggested that compounds tended to be more potent in preventing venous thrombosis than arterial. This thrombin-dependent model is an economical and efficient approach to arterial and venous antithrombotic efficacy screening that eliminates variabilities encountered when multiple model/multiple animal strategies are employed.

Animals↗

PubMed1998

Isolated cortical venous thrombosis and ulcerative colitis.

Aseptic cortical venous thrombosis is rare without concomitant dural sinus thrombosis. Ulcerative colitis is associated with both dural sinus thrombosis and isolated cortical venous thrombosis. We describe a 26-year-old woman with ulcerative colitis who had a spontaneous cerebral hemorrhage. An overlying thrombosed cortical vein was identified on spin-echo MR images and confirmed with angiography. Signal characteristics of thrombosed cortical veins are similar to those described in dural sinus thrombosis.

Adult↗

PubMed1998

[Arterial thrombosis in the course of nephrotic syndrome. Report of three cases].

Vascular thrombosis remains severe complication in patients with nephrotic syndrome. Both venous and arterial thrombosis are observed. We report three new cases of arterial thrombosis in patients with nephrotic syndrome. The role of acquired hemostasis disorders, inducing hypercoagulability, is predominant. Extramembranous glomerulonephritis remains the most frequent cause of nephrotic syndrome, complicated by vascular thrombosis. Treatment is based on anticoagulation and corticosteroid therapy. Search for proteinuria should be part of the etiology work-up in all patients with vascular thrombosis of undetermined origin.

Adult↗

PubMed1998

Anti-BB'-Sm antibodies, anticardiolipin antibodies, and thrombosis in systemic lupus erythematosus.

OBJECTIVE: Anticardiolipin antibodies (aCL) are associated with thrombosis in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Our aim was to determine whether there is an association between aCL, anti-Sm antibodies, and thrombosis in patients with SLE. METHODS: Sera from 153 patients with SLE were studied by ELISA, immunoblotting, and counter-immunoelectrophoresis (CIE) for anti-Sm antibodies, aCL and anti-dsDNA antibodies were detected by ELISA and radioimmunoassay, respectively. RESULTS: Anti-Sm antibodies were detected in 62 patients (40.5%) by ELISA and in 16 (10.4%) by CIE; IgG-anti-BB'-Sm in 44 (28.7%) by immunoblotting; IgG-aCL in 82 (53.5%), IgM-aCL in 44 (28.7%), and anti-dsDNA antibodies in 128 (83.6%). Anti-Sm and anti-dsDNA antibodies were significantly more frequent in patients with than in patients without aCL. Of the 89 patients with aCL, 36 (40.4%) showed IgG-anti-BB'-Sm antibodies (OR: 4.7; 95% CI: 2-10.5). Thrombosis was present in 20 (22.4%) SLE patients with aCL and in two (3.1 %) SLE patients without aCL (OR: 8.9; 95% CI: 2.4-31.8). Of the 22 patients with thrombosis, five (22.7%) had precipitating anti-Sm antibodies (OR: 3.2; 95% CI: 1.04-9.8) and 14 (63.6%) showed IgG-anti-BB'-Sm antibodies (OR: 5.8; 95% CI: 2.3-14). Anti-BB'-Sm and aCL were significantly more frequent in patients with anti-dsDNA antibodies (32 and 62%) than in patients without these antibodies (12 and 36%) (OR: 3.4 and 2.9; 95% CI: 1.03-11.1 and 1.2-6.7, respectively). CONCLUSION: IgG-anti-BB'-Sm antibodies are associated with aCL, anti-dsDNA, and thrombosis in patients with SLE. Our findings suggest a possible association between anti-Sm, anti-dsDNA, and aCL responses in these patients.

Adult↗

PubMed1998

High-dose heparin plus warfarin administration in non-traumatic dural sinuses thrombosis. A clinical and neuroradiological study.

BACKGROUND: The management of intracranial dural sinuses thrombosis is still controversial and uncertain. The authors report the cases of 7 patients with non-traumatic thrombosis of the dural sinuses and describe the most important radiographic findings, the indication, effectiveness of antithrombotic therapy, and outcome. METHODS: A retrospective review was conducted of 7 cases of dural sinus thrombosis admitted, between 1994 and 1996, to our division. All patients underwent full anticoagulation therapy. Heparin was administered, using a dose of 25,000 units/day for two weeks; warfarin was given using a dose of 5 mg twice daily. Treatment course was followed by maintenance treatment with a single administration of 5 mg/day of warfarin. All patients were submitted to close titration and coagulation profile monitoring. RESULTS: In 4 cases Magnetic Resonance Imaging-Angiography (Angio-MRI) was performed for following up the recanalization of the sinuses, resulting a persistent no patency of the dural sinuses. Three patients underwent contrast-enhanced CT scan, demonstrated an "empty delta sign" in the sagittal sinus, confirming no recanalization. Nevertheless, six patients had have a good quality recovery, and one patient a moderate disability. DISCUSSION: Cerebral venous sinus thrombosis is an uncommon cause of cerebral infarction, and may be mistaken, unless specifically sought. The natural history of the disease is highly variable, with a mortality rates range from 10% to 20%. At present, in our opinion, the venous phase of Angio-MRI is the definitive examination, and a gold standard for diagnosis of dural sinus thrombosis. In our cases, antithrombotic therapy has been found to be a safe and effective treatment, despite contrast-CT scans and Angio-MRI showed no recanalization of the sinuses, in all patients.

Adult↗

PubMed1998

Relative risk of post-transplant renal thrombosis in patients with antiphospholipid antibodies.

INTRODUCTION: Antiphospholipid antibody syndrome (APAS) is a condition associated with recurrent arterial and venous thrombosis, recurrent abortions, and thrombocytopenia either with or without lupus. In this study we have evaluated the impact of APAS on the renal transplant outcome of 174 patients. METHOD: Patients' APAS status was determined by the presence of anticardiolipin antibodies (ACA) and a history of clotting disorders. Serum samples from each patient were tested for the presence of ACA by the ELISA method. Transplant outcomes were monitored for > or = 1 yr. RESULTS: Of 174 patients, 78 received renal transplants. Six of these 78 patients had APAS as evidenced by either recurrent microrenal angiopathy (2 patients), thrombocytopenia (1 patient) or frequent A-V shunt thrombosis (3 patients) along with high titers of ACA of IgM, IgG, or both subtypes at the time of their transplants. Each of these 6 patients thrombosed their renal allografts within a week of their transplants. The other 72 transplanted patients with no APAS were all doing well 1 yr post-transplant. The association between APAS and post-transplant renal thrombosis among these patients is highly significant (p < 0.0001). In contrast, no association was discerned between post-transplant thrombosis and prior sensitization to HLA CONCLUSION: Our data demonstrates that patients with APAS are at high risk for development of post-transplant renal thrombosis.

Adult↗

PubMed1998

Out-patient treatment of acute deep vein thrombosis.

BACKGROUND: To assess whether uncomplicated deep vein thrombosis could be treated in an out-patient setting without increasing the frequency of complications, and to determine the proportion of patients with deep vein thrombosis, traditionally treated as in-patients at the Departments of Medicine, who are eligible for such treatment. METHODS: In a multicentre study, carried out at six hospitals of varying sizes and serving a population of about 600,000, consecutive patients over 18 years of age, with verified deep vein thrombosis, primarily presented as acute cases at the respective Departments of Medicine, were considered for treatment on an out-patient basis during a 1-year period. INTERVENTIONS: Those eligible for out-patient treatment were put on low molecular weight heparin and oral anticoagulants, and scheduled for daily attendance at the out-patient clinic of the respective Dept. of Medicine. Details of any complication were recorded according to a standard check-list. The patients underwent a full checkup at three-month follow-up. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Any bleeding event or pulmonary embolism. Progress of thrombosis. RESULTS: Of 523 patients considered for out-patient treatment, 126 (24%) were excluded according to the defined exclusion criteria, 197 (38%) were treated entirely on an out-patient basis, and another 43 (8%) were initially treated in hospital (median two days) before being transferred to the out-patient setting. Three patients had to be hospitalized for suspected complications, but none of these turned out to be serious. No serious bleeding event or thromboembolic complication was registered. CONCLUSIONS: Uncomplicated acute deep vein thrombosis could be safely treated on an out-patients basis. At least 50% of the patients with this diagnosis, former treated as in-patients at the Depts. of Medicine, are eligible for such treatment.

Acute Disease↗

PubMed1998

Cost-effectiveness of low-molecular-weight heparin and unfractionated heparin in treatment of deep vein thrombosis.

BACKGROUND: Acute deep vein thrombosis has traditionally been treated with unfractionated heparin (UFH), administered intravenously, but low-molecular-weight heparins (LMWH), administered subcutaneously, have recently become available. The authors sought to determine which therapy was more cost-effective for inpatient and outpatient treatment of deep vein thrombosis. METHODS: An incremental cost-effectiveness analysis based on a decision tree was performed for 4 treatment strategies for deep vein thrombosis. Rate of major hemorrhage while receiving heparin, rate of recurrence of venous thromboembolism 3 months after treatment and mortality rate 3 months after treatment were determined by meta-analysis. Costs for the UFH therapy were prospectively collected by a case-costing accounting system for 105 patients with deep vein thrombosis treated in fiscal year 1995/96. The costs for LMWH therapy were modelled, and cost-effectiveness was determined by decision analysis. RESULTS: Meta-analysis revealed a mean difference in risk of hemorrhage of -1.1% (95% confidence interval [CI] -2.4% to 0.3%), a mean difference in risk of recurrence of venous thromboembolism of -2.6% (95% CI -4.5% to -0.7%) and a mean difference in risk of death of -1.9% (95% CI -3.6% to -0.4%), all in favour of subcutaneous unmonitored administration of LMWH. The cost to treat one inpatient was $2993 for LMWH and $3048 for UFH. Even more would be saved if LMWH was delivered on an outpatient basis (cost of $1641 per patient). The cost-effectiveness analysis showed that LMWH in any treatment setting is more cost effective than UFH. A sensitivity analysis demonstrated the robustness of this conclusion. INTERPRETATION: Treatment of deep vein thrombosis with LMWH is more cost effective than treatment with UFH in both inpatient and outpatient settings.

Canada↗

PubMed1976

[Membranous glomerulonephritis and renal vein thrombosis (author's transl)].

A report on 3 autopsy cases is given, in 2 of them a combination of membranous glomerulonephritis (mGn) and bilateral renal vein thrombosis was detected, while the third case showed a combination of mGn and large pulmonary thrombembolism being in organisation. In semithin sections characteristic spikes were seen on the external surface of the glomerular basement membrane. An immunecomplex nephritis (type:transmembranous glomerulopathy) was observed in both kidneys examined by immunofluorescence technique. The pathogenetic correlations between mGn and renal vein thrombosis are unclear so far; the two main conceptions found in the literature are discussed. The knowledge of a combination between mGn and renal vein thrombosis has practical value. The findings of mGn in a renal biopsy specimen should the clinican cause to think of the possibility of renal vein thrombosis. On the other hand a renal vein thrombosis is an indication for the renal biopsy. A mGn can only be excluded by applying modern morphological methods, i.e. semithin section technique, immunohistology and/or electron microscopy.

Adult↗

PubMed2003

[Current controversies in the diagnosis and management of cerebral venous and dural sinus thrombosis].

Over the last few years, the results from clinical studies and innovative radiological approaches have significantly altered the management of patients with cerebral venous thrombosis. In contrast to previously held beliefs, cerebral venous thrombosis is considered to be a relatively benign disease with an overall favourable prognosis. Mortality is <10%, and the vast majority of patients recover completely. Although the efficacy of heparin has not been unequivocally proven, it is employed in most centres as the standard therapy. There are not sufficient data supporting long-term anticoagulation. In patients with a proven hypercoagulability syndrome, anticoagulation therapy is generally recommended for a period of 6 months. Whether patients with idiopathic thrombosis should also be treated remains controversial. Non-invasive MR and CT angiography techniques have largely replaced conventional angiography for initial evaluation and follow-up examinations. Both methods have a high sensitivity for cerebral venous thrombosis. Local fibrinolytic therapy or other aggressive recanalizing methods can not be generally recommended.

Anticoagulants↗

PubMed1999

Emergent decompressive craniectomy in patients with fixed dilated pupils due to cerebral venous and dural sinus thrombosis: report of three cases.

OBJECTIVE AND IMPORTANCE: Cerebral venous and dural sinus thrombosis is a rare cause of stroke. Although morbidity and mortality have greatly decreased in recent years as a result of early diagnosis and timely medical treatment, when coma occurs the prognosis remains poor. We evaluated whether emergent decompressive craniectomy has a role in the treatment of patients with brain herniation from dural sinus thrombosis and hemorrhagic infarct. CLINICAL PRESENTATION: Three patients developed large hemorrhagic infarct with coma and bilaterally fixed and dilated pupils resulting from aseptic dural sinus thrombosis. INTERVENTION: Two patients underwent emergent surgical decompression as soon as brain herniation developed, and these patients had complete functional recovery. One underwent delayed surgical decompression and remained severely disabled. CONCLUSION: Our results provide preliminary evidence that emergent decompressive craniectomy is effective in patients with brain herniation from dural sinus thrombosis, provided that the clinical onset is recent. We therefore recommend consideration of this aggressive surgical technique for such patients, who may survive with good outcomes.

Adult↗

PubMed1999

Endovascular thrombolysis for symptomatic cerebral venous thrombosis.

OBJECT: The authors sought to treat potentially catastrophic intracranial dural and deep cerebral venous thrombosis by using a multimodality endovascular approach. METHODS: Six patients aged 14 to 75 years presented with progressive symptoms of thrombotic intracranial venous occlusion. Five presented with neurological deficits, and one patient had a progressive and intractable headache. All six had known risk factors for venous thrombosis: inflammatory bowel disease (two patients), nephrotic syndrome (one), cancer (one), use of oral contraceptive pills (one), and puerperium (one). Four had combined dural and deep venous thrombosis, whereas clot formation was limited to the dural venous sinuses in two patients. All patients underwent diagnostic cerebral arteriograms followed by transvenous catheterization and selective sinus and deep venous microcatheterization. Urokinase was delivered at the proximal aspect of the thrombus in dosages of 200,000 to 1,000,000 IU. In two patients with thrombus refractory to pharmacological thrombolytic treatment, mechanical wire microsnare maceration of the thrombus resulted in sinus patency. Radiological studies obtained 24 hours after thrombolysis reconfirmed sinus/vein patency in all patients. All patients' symptoms and neurological deficits improved, and no procedural complications ensued. Follow-up periods ranged from 12 to 35 months, and all six patients remain free of any symptomatic venous reocclusion. Factors including patients' age, preexisting medical conditions, and duration of symptoms had no statistical bearing on the outcome. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with both dural and deep cerebral venous thrombosis often have a variable clinical course and an unpredictable neurological outcome. With recent improvements in interventional techniques, endovascular therapy is warranted in symptomatic patients early in the disease course, prior to morbid and potentially fatal neurological deterioration.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2006

Cerebral venous thrombosis--clinical presentations.

Cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT) is an under diagnosed condition for acute or slowly progressive neurological deficit. CVT is less frequent than arterial thrombosis. CVT has a wide spectrum of signs and symptoms, which may evolve suddenly or over the weeks. It is clinically challenging and mimics many neurological conditions such as, meningitis, encephalopathy, benign intracranial hypertension, and stroke. With increasing awareness, CVT cases are now being diagnosed more frequently. Newer imaging procedures have led to easier recognition of venous sinus thrombosis, offering the opportunity for early therapeutic measures. It may be difficult to diagnose it on clinical grounds alone. Headache is the most frequent symptom in patients with CVT, present in about 80% of cases. Most common pattern of presentation is with a benign intracranial hypertension-like syndrome. The prognosis of CVT is worse in elderly subjects. The shorter the history the more likely is the presence of focal signs. Sixth cranial nerve palsy usually manifests as false localizing sign. Subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH) has been described, as the presenting event with CVT. Patients may have seizures that can be recurrent. Cranial nerve syndromes are seen with venous sinus thrombosis. Psychiatric disturbances are sometimes the presenting symptoms. CVT, an important cause of stroke in puerperium, is frequently observed in India. We have seen 6 patients of CVT out of 490 stroke registry. Of these 6, four were females and two were males. The mean age among females was 27.75 years and among males was 41.5 years. Of the 4 females two were postpartum; one was on oral contraceptive and in one Antiphospholipid antibodies (APLA) were positive. Amongst two males one had hyperhomocysteinemia and one had hyperlipidemia.

Cerebral Veins↗

PubMed2006

Cerebral angiography and venography for evaluation of cerebral venous thrombosis.

Cerebral venous thrombosis is an uncommon, but important cause of stroke due to its high morbidity. Though conventional catheter based angiography is becoming replaced by newer, noninvasive imaging modalities, it still plays an important role in the evaluation of patients with suspected sinus or venous thrombosis. Techniques of angiography, normal anatomy and variants, and pathological drainage patterns are discussed in reference to thrombosis of the major dural and cortical venous structures. Knowledge of the normal drainage patterns of the cerebral venous system is essential in interpreting angiographic information obtained in the evaluation of patients with suspected cerebral venous thrombosis.

Cerebral Angiography↗

PubMed1998

Expanding eligibility for outpatient treatment of deep venous thrombosis and pulmonary embolism with low-molecular-weight heparin: a comparison of patient self-injection with homecare injection.

BACKGROUND: The outpatient treatment of patients with deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism using low-molecular-weight heparin has the potential to reduce health care costs, but it is unclear if most patients with deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism can be treated as outpatients. In the published studies, more than 50% of patients were excluded from outpatient treatment for reasons such as comorbid conditions, short life expectancy, concomitant pulmonary embolism, and previous deep vein thrombosis, and many patients were not treated entirely at home. We sought to determine if expanding patient eligibility for the outpatient treatment of deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism affects the safety and effectiveness of the treatment, and to determine if patient self-injection compared with injections administered by a homecare nurse affected these outcomes. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We treated as outpatients all patients with deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism, except for those with massive pulmonary embolism, high risk for major bleeding or an active bleed, phlegmasia, and patients hospitalized for reasons that prevented discharge. We compared 2 models of outpatient care to determine feasibility, safety, and efficacy. Both models involved nurse managers who provided daily patient contact and ongoing treatment; however, in one model the patients were taught to inject themselves and in the other model homecare nurses administered the injections. We expanded the population of patients eligible for outpatient treatment by including many patients not treated at home in previous studies. Most patients in our study were treated with dalteparin sodium, 200 U/kg every 24 hours, for a minimum of 5 days. Therapy with warfarin sodium was started on the day of diagnosis or the following day. Patients were followed up for 3 months to determine rates of recurrent venous thromboembolism, bleeding, and death. RESULTS: In this study, 194 (83%) of 233 consecutive patients were deemed eligible and treated as outpatients. Of the 39 patients who did not receive home therapy, 20 had concomitant medical problems responsible for their admission or were already inpatients, 6 had massive pulmonary embolism, 6 refused to pay for the dalteparin therapy, 4 had active bleeding, and 3 had phlegmasia cerulea dolens, which required treatment with intravenous narcotics for pain control. More than 184 (95%) of the 194 patients were treated entirely at home. There was no significant difference (P>.99) in the rate of recurrent venous thromboembolic events between the patients who were injected by homecare nurses (3/95 [3.2%]) and those who injected themselves (4/99 [4.0%]). Combining the 2 models, the overall recurrent event rate was 3.6% (95% confidence interval, 1.5%-7.4%). Similarly, there were no significant differences in rates of major hemorrhage (2/95 vs 2/99; P>.99), minor hemorrhage (8/95 vs 2/99; P = .06), and death (6/95 vs 8/99; P = .63). The overall rate of major hemorrhage was 2.0% (95% confidence interval, 0.6%-5.2%). CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrate that more than 80% of patients at our tertiary care hospital could be treated at home using 1 of the 2 models of care we describe. Our results demonstrate that patients can safely and effectively perform home self-injection under the supervision of a hospital-based nurse. Injections at home by a homecare nurse are similarly effective. Our overall rates of recurrent venous thromboembolism, bleeding, and death are at least as favorable as those previously reported despite using 1 dose per day of dalteparin for most patients.

Adult↗

PubMed1998

Length of hospital stay for treatment of deep venous thrombosis and the incidence of recurrent thromboembolism.

BACKGROUND: Current guidelines suggest that all patients with acute deep venous thrombosis should be treated with intravenous heparin for at least 5 days, overlapping with warfarin sodium for 4 to 5 days. METHODS: Using linked state of California hospital discharge records from 1991 to 1994 we identified patients with acute deep venous thrombosis without pulmonary embolism, and determined the 6-month cumulative incidence of rehospitalization for recurrent thromboembolism. Coding was validated by reviewing the charts of 218 patients matched with the statewide data from 4 local hospitals. RESULTS: A total of 36924 linked records met study criteria. In the validation group, objectively confirmed thrombosis that was treated with intravenous heparin followed by warfarin was noted in 20%, 65%, 94%, and 95% of the patients who were hospitalized for 2 or fewer days or 3, 4, or 5 or more days, respectively. Statewide, among patients hospitalized for 3, 4, 5, and 6 days, the 6-month cumulative incidence of hospitalization for recurrent thromboembolism was 5.4%, 5.1%, 5.4%, and 6.0%, respectively. Multivariate modeling of patients hospitalized for 3 to 10 days revealed that recurrent thromboembolism was associated with the length of hospitalization (odds ratio [OR], 1.06 each additional day; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.04-1.08), presence of malignancy (OR, 1.58; 95% CI, 1.46-1.68), age (OR, 0.85 each 10 years; 95% CI, 0.84-0.86), dementia (OR, 0.38; 95% CI, 0.26-0.49), hospitalization for multiple injuries within 3 months (OR, 0.46; 95% CI, 0.32-0.60), and surgery within 3 months (OR, 0.84; 95% CI, 0.78-0.90). CONCLUSIONS: We found no evidence that a stay of 4 days for treatment of deep venous thrombosis was associated with a higher rate of recurrent thromboembolism compared with hospitalization for 5 or more days. Although the evidence was not as strong, the incidence of recurrent thromboembolism after a stay of 3 days appeared comparable with that after a stay of 5 days. These findings suggest that fewer than 5 days of intravenous heparin overlapping with warfarin may provide effective initial treatment for deep venous thrombosis among patients deemed ready for hospital discharge.

Anticoagulants↗

PubMed1983

Two-step warfarin therapy. Prevention of postoperative venous thrombosis without excessive bleeding.

In a randomized, prospective trial of 100 patients, we have studied the safety and efficacy of warfarin sodium in comparison with that of dextran 40 in the prevention of venous thrombosis in patients at high risk for deep vein thrombosis after elective total hip or knee replacement. Warfarin was given in a new two-step regimen designed to avoid bleeding complications while still preventing venous thrombosis. A low dose of warfarin was started ten to 14 days preoperatively, and the prothrombin time was regulated to between 1.5 and 3 seconds longer than control at the time of surgery; immediately after surgery, the dose was increased to prolong the prothrombin time to 1.5 times control. The overall incidence of venous thrombosis as documented by venography was less in the 53 patients treated with warfarin than in the 37 treated with dextran (21% v 51%), as was the incidence of thrombi in the femoral or popliteal veins (2% v 16%). Objective measures of blood loss showed no difference between patients treated with warfarin or dextran, and excessive postoperative bleeding was infrequent and similar in both treatment groups. This study demonstrates that two-step warfarin therapy provides highly effective prophylaxis of postoperative venous thrombosis after elective hip or knee prosthetic surgery without excessive risk of perioperative bleeding.

Aged↗

PubMed1998

Short- and medium-term duplex sonography follow-up of deep venous thrombosis of the lower limbs.

PURPOSE: We conducted this study to assess the progression or regression of venous thrombi during and after treatment and to search for criteria of embolism risk. METHODS: We prospectively studied 75 patients with lower limb deep venous thrombosis. We used B-mode sonography for the diagnosis and follow-up of these thrombi. Pulmonary scintigraphy was performed at days 1 and 10. We evaluated the topography, echogenicity, and structure of the thrombus; the location and wall attachment of its head; and the vein diameter. Each venous segment was semiquantitatively scored as follows: 0, no thrombosis; 1, partially obstructive thrombosis; or 2, complete thrombosis. RESULTS: The decreases in the total thrombosis score were 4%, 11%, 51%, 72%, and 84% on days 5, 10, 30, 90, and 365 (1 year), respectively. Pulmonary embolism occurred in 27 patients, of whom 16 were asymptomatic. Thrombi in iliac veins exhibited a slower regression rate than those in calf and femoral veins. Pulmonary embolism occurred in 54% of patients with versus 24% of patients without a floating thrombus head. CONCLUSIONS: Sonography is useful for the early detection of thrombus progression and the evaluation of embolism risk, which seems to be greater in patients with a floating thrombus head.

Disease Progression↗