Genetic risk stratification of inflammatory bowel disease-associated venous thromboembolism:An Asian perspective

The utilisation of polygenic scoring models may enhance the clinician’s ability to risk stratify an inflammatory bowel disease patient’s individual risk for venous thromboembolism(VTE)and guide the appropriate usage of VTE thromboprophylaxis,yet there is a need to validate such models in ethnically diverse populations.

Post-operative venous thromboembolism in patients after extracranial otologic surgery: A case series

Objective:This study aimed to report 9 venous thromboembolism(VTE)cases after extracranial otologic surgery and analyze the potential risk factors.Study design:Case series.Setting:Single tertiary-level academic center.Methods:Totally,9 cases of VTE were identified among adults who underwent extracranial otologic surgery at our hospital from January 2018 to December 2020.Caprini risk scores were calculated,and comprehensive preoperative,operative,and postoperative clinical data within 14 days were collected to assess the evidence of VTE.Results:The median age of 9 patients was 64 years old.Among them,7(77.8%)patients presented with intramuscular vein thrombosis,1(11.1%)patient had deep vein thrombosis,and 1(11.1%)patient experienced pulmonary embolism.Preoperatively,8(88.9%)patients had low or middle Caprini risk scores(≤4)with an average of 2.67±0.47 points.The average Caprini scores for all patients were 4.44±0.35 on postoperative day(POD)1 and 5.67±0.64 on POD14.D-dimer levels were collected,indicating an average of 0.55±0.17 mg/FEU preoperatively,8.53±3.94 mg/FEU at day 1,and 3.76±0.45 mg/FEU at POD14.In postoperative period,7(77.8%)patients experienced vertigo/dizziness and/or head immobility/bed rest.Conclusion:The present study highlighted that patients with low-and middle-risk of VTE undergoing otologic surgery should be also vigilant about postoperative VTE.Vertigo/dizziness and/or head immobility/bed rest in postoperative period should be considered as minor risk factors for developing VTE in patients undergoing extracranial otologic surgery.Conducting perioperative assessments,including Caprini risk score evaluation,Ddimer testing,and venous ultrasound of lower extremities,is recommended to ensure patients’safety.

Utility of plasma D-dimer for diagnosis of venous thromboembolism after hepatectomy

BACKGROUND Venous thromboembolism(VTE)is a potentially fatal complication of hepatectomy.The use of postoperative prophylactic anticoagulation in patients who have undergone hepatectomy is controversial because of the risk of postoperative bleeding.Therefore,we hypothesized that monitoring plasma D-dimer could be useful in the early diagnosis of VTE after hepatectomy.AIM To evaluate the utility of monitoring plasma D-dimer levels in the early diagnosis of VTE after hepatectomy.METHODS The medical records of patients who underwent hepatectomy at our institution between January 2017 and December 2020 were retrospectively analyzed.Patients were divided into two groups according to whether or not they developed VTE after hepatectomy,as diagnosed by contrast-enhanced computed tomography and/or ultrasonography of the lower extremities.Clinicopathological factors,including demographic data and perioperative D-dimer values,were compared between the two groups.Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was performed to determine the D-dimer cutoff value.Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed using logistic regression analysis to identify significant predictors.RESULTS In total,234 patients who underwent hepatectomy were,of whom(5.6%)were diagnosed with VTE following hepatectomy.A comparison between the two groups showed significant differences in operative time(529 vs 403 min,P=0.0274)and blood loss(530 vs 138 mL,P=0.0067).The D-dimer levels on postoperative days(POD)1,3,5,7 were significantly higher in the VTE group than in the non-VTE group.In the multivariate analysis,intraoperative blood loss of>275 mL[odds ratio(OR)=5.32,95%confidence interval(CI):1.05-27.0,P=0.044]and plasma D-dimer levels on POD 5≥21μg/mL(OR=10.1,95%CI:2.04-50.1,P=0.0046)were independent risk factors for VTE after hepatectomy.CONCLUSION Monitoring of plasma D-dimer levels after hepatectomy is useful for early diagnosis of VTE and may avoid routine prophylactic anticoagulation in the postoperative period.

Estimation of the Direct Cost of Management of Venous Thromboembolism in Three Reference Hospitals in the City of Yaoundé: A Retrospective Study over a Three-Year Period

Background: Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a major public health problem due to its increasing frequency, mortality and management cost. This cost may require major financial efforts from patients, especially in developing countries like ours where less than 7% of the population has health insurance. This study aimed to estimate the direct cost of managing VTE in three reference hospitals in Yaoundé. Methods: This was a cross-sectional retrospective study over a three-year period (from January 1st 2018 to December 31 2020) carried out in the Cardiology departments of the Central and General Hospitals, and the Emergency Centre of the city of Yaoundé. All patients managed during the study period for deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism confirmed by venous ultrasound coupled with Doppler and computed tomography pulmonary angiography respectively were included. For each patient, we collected sociodemographic and clinical data as well as data on the cost of consultation, hospital stay, workups and medications. These data were analysed using SPSS version 23.0. Results: A total of 92 patient’s records were analysed. The median age was 60 years [48 - 68] with a sex ratio of 0.53. The median direct cost of management of venous thromboembolism was 766,375 CFAF [536,455 - 1,029,745] or $1415 USD. Management of pulmonary embolism associated with deep vein thrombosis was more costly than isolated pulmonary embolism or deep vein thrombosis. Factors influencing the direct cost of management of venous thromboembolism were: hospital structure (p = 0.015), health insurance (p 0.001), type of pulmonary embolism (p = 0.021), and length of hospital stay (p = 0.001). Conclusion: Management of VTE is a major financial burden for our patients and this burden is influenced by the hospital structure, health insurance, type of pulmonary embolism and length of hospital stay.

Efficacy and Safety of Low Molecular Weight Heparin Prophylaxis for Venous Thromboembolism Following Lumbar Decompression Surgery

Objective To evaluate the efficacy and safety of low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) prophylaxis for venous thromboembolism (VTE) after lumbar decompression surgery. Methods Patients at high or the highest risk of VTE who underwent lumbar spine surgery in Peking Union Medical College Hospital from January 2004 to April 2011 were included in the present study. All the patients received a half dose of LMWH 6 hours after surgery followed by a full dose LMWH once per day until discharge. We recorded incidences of deep venous thrombosis (DVT), pulmonary embolism (PE), bleeding complications, and medication side effects. Results Seventy-eight consecutive patients were eligible and enrolled in this study. The mean hospital stat was 8.5±4.5 days. No symptomatic DVT, PE, or major bleeding events were observed. One patient developed wound ecchymosis, another developed wound bleeding, four had mild hepatic aminotransferase level elevation, and one developed a suspicious allergic reaction. Conclusion LMWH may be applied as an effective and safe prophylaxis for VTE in high-risk patients undergoing lumbar decompression surgery.

Risk scores,prevention,and treatment of maternal venous thromboembolism

BACKGROUND At present,the preventive treatment for pregnancy-related venous thromboembolism(VTE)in China is in its infancy,and there is no uniform or standardized industry guide.Drug prevention and treatment of pregnancyrelated VTE rely highly on foreign guidelines;however,due to the differences in ethnicity and national conditions,there are many controversies over the indications for drug treatment,drug selection,and dose selection for anticoagulant therapy.AIM To investigate the risk scores,prevention,and treatment of maternal VTE to promote the prevention and standardized treatment of maternal thrombosis.METHODS A retrospective analysis was performed on 7759 patients who gave birth at our hospital from June 2018 to June 2019.Risk factors for pregnancy-related VTE,prenatal and postpartum VTE risk scores,prophylactic anticoagulant therapy,side effects after medication,and morbidity were analysed.RESULTS The risk factors for VTE were mainly caesarean delivery,obesity,and advanced maternal age.Regarding pregnancy-related VTE risk scores,there were 7520 patients in the low-risk group with a prenatal score<3 points and 239 in the high-risk group with a score≥3,and 44 patients received drug prevention and treatment during pregnancy.There were 4223 patients in the low-risk group with a postpartum score<2 points and 3536 in the high-risk group with a score≥2 points,and 824 patients received drug prevention and treatment for 10 d.Among the patients who did not present with VTE before delivery,we found one case each of pulmonary embolism secondary to lower extremity venous thrombosis,intracranial venous sinus thrombosis,and asymptomatic lower extremity venous thrombosis during the postpartum follow-up.CONCLUSION VTE poses a serious threat to maternal safety,and the society should increase its vigilance against pregnancy-related VTE.

Venous thromboembolism in the emergency department:A survey of current best practice awareness in physicians and nurses in China

BACKGROUND: For emergency department(ED) patients, risk assessment, prophylaxis, early diagnosis and appropriate treatment of venous thromboembolism(VTE) are essential for preventing morbidity and mortality. This study aimes to investigate knowledge amongst emergency medical staff in the management of VTE. METHODS: We designed a questionnaire based on multiple scales. The questionnaire was distributed to the medical and nursing clinical staff in the large urban ED of a medical center in Northern China. Data was described with percentages and the Kruskal-Wallis test was used to compare ranked data between different groups. The statistical analysis was done using the SPSS 22.0 software.RESULTS: In this survey, 180 questionnaires were distributed and 174 valid responses(response rate of 96.67%) were collected and analyzed. In scores of VTE knowledge, no signifi cant differences were found with respect to job(doctor vs. nurse), the number of years working in clinical medicine, education level, and current position, previous hospital experience and nurses' current work location within the ED. However, in pair wise comparison, we found participants who worked in ED for more than 5 years(n=83) scored signifi cantly higher on the questionnaire than those under 5 years(n=91)(95.75 vs. 79.97, P=0.039). There was a signifi cant difference in some questions based on gender, age, job, and nurse work location, number of working years, education level, and different ED working lifetime.CONCLUSION: Our survey has shown defi ciencies among ED medical staff in knowledge and awareness of the management of VTE. We recommend several changes be considered, such as the introduction of an interdisciplinary workshop for medical staff; the introduction of a standardized VTE protocol; a mandatory study module on VTE for new physicians and nurses; the introduction of a mandatory reporting system for adverse events(including VTE).

Prophylaxis for venous thromboembolism after resection of hepatocellular carcinoma on cirrhosis: Is it necessary?

AIM: To assess the safety and effectiveness of prophylaxis for venous thromboembolism (VTE) in a large population of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) on cirrhosis.METHODS: Two hundred and twenty nine consecutive cirrhotic patients with HCC who underwent hepatic resection were retrospectively evaluated to assess whether there was any difference in the incidence of thrombotic or hemorrhagic complications between those who received and those who did not receive prophylaxis with low-molecular weight heparin.Differences and possible effects of the following parameters were investigated: age,sex,Child-Pugh and model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) score,platelet count,presence of esophageal varices,type of hepatic resection,duration of surgery,intraoperative transfusion of blood and fresh frozen plasma (FFP),body mass index,diabetes and previous cardiovascular disease.RESULTS: One hundred and fifty seven of 229 (68.5%) patients received antithromboembolic prophylaxis (group A) while the remaining 72 (31.5%) patients did not (group B).Patients in group B had higher Child-Pugh and MELD scores,lower platelet counts,a higher prevalence of esophageal varices and higher requirements for intraoperative transfusion of FFP.The incidence of VTE and postoperative hemorrhage was 0.63% and 3.18% in group A and 1.38% and 1.38% in group B,respectively;these differences were not significant.None of the variables analyzed including prophylaxis proved to be risk factors for VTE,and only the presence of esophageal varices was associated with an increased risk of bleeding.CONCLUSION: Prophylaxis is safe in cirrhotic patients without esophageal varices;the real need for prophylaxis should be better assessed.

Incidence of venous thromboembolism and the role of D-dimer as predictive marker in patients with advanced gastric cancer receiving chemotherapy:A prospective study

To investigated the incidence and risk factors of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in patients with advanced gastric cancer (AGC) receiving chemotherapy. METHODSAll consecutive chemotherapy-naïve patients with AGC who would receive palliative chemotherapy between November 2009 and April 2012 in our hospital were recruited. Their pretreatment clinical and laboratory variables, including D-dimer, were recorded. The frequency of VTE development and survival rates during each chemotherapy cycle and regularly thereafter were assessed. RESULTSA total of 241 patients enrolled between November 2009 and April 2012 were analyzed. During a median follow-up duration of 10.8 mo (95%CI: 9.9-11.7), 27 patients developed VTE and the incidence of VTE was 17.5% (95%CI: 10.5-24.0, 12.0 events/100 person-years). The 6-mo and 1-year cumulative incidences were 7.8% (95%CI: 4.2%-11.4%) and 12.4% (95%CI: 7.3-17.2), respectively. Thirteen (48.1%) patients were symptomatic and the other 14 (51.9%) patients were asymptomatic. In multivariate analysis, pretreatment D-dimer level was the only marginally significant risk factor associated with VTE development (hazard ratio = 1.32; 95%CI: 1.00-1.75, P = 0.051). CONCLUSIONThe incidence of VTE is relatively high in patients with AGC receiving chemotherapy, and pretreatment D-dimer level might be a biomarker for risk stratification of VTE.

Venous thromboembolism in patients with inflammatory bowel disease:Focus on prevention and treatment

Inflammatory bowel disease(IBD)patients have an increased risk of venous thromboembolism(VTE),which represents a significant cause of morbidity and mortality.The most common sites of VTE in IBD patients are the deep veins of the legs and pulmonary system,followed by the portal and mesenteric veins.However,other sites may also be involved,such as the cerebrovascular and retinal veins.The aetiology of VTE is multifactorial,including both inherited and acquired risk factors that,when simultaneously present,multiply the risk to the patient.VTE prevention involves correcting modifiable risk factors,such as disease activity,vitamin deficiency,dehydration and prolonged immobilisation.The role of mechanical and pharmacological prophylaxis against VTE using anticoagulants is also crucial.However,although guidelines recommend thromboprophylaxis for IBD patients,this method is still poorly implemented because of concerns about its safety and a lack of awareness of the magnitude of thrombotic risk in these patients.Further efforts are required to increase the rate of pharmacological prevention of VTE in IBD patients to avoid preventable morbidity and mortality.

Burden of venous thromboembolism in patients with pancreatic cancer

Pancreatic cancer(PC)is a devastating malignancy with fewer than 10%of patients being alive at 5 years after diagnosis.Venous thromboembolism(VTE)occurs in approximatively 20%of patients with PC,resulting in increased morbidity,mortality and significant health care costs.The management of VTE is particularly challenging in these frail patients.Adequate selection of the most appropriate anticoagulant for each individual patient according to the current international guidelines is warranted for overcoming treatment challenges.The International Initiative on Thrombosis and Cancer multi-language web-based mobile application(downloadable for free at www.itaccme.com)has been developed to help clinicians in decision making in the most complex situations.In this narrative review,we will discuss the contemporary epidemiology and burden of VTE in PC patients,the performances and limitations of current risk assessment models to predict the risk of VTE,as well as evidence from recent clinical trials for the primary prophylaxis and treatment of cancer-associated VTE that support updated clinical practice guidelines.

Advances in research on personalized venous thromboembolism risk assessment tools

This paper describes the de？nition of venous thromboembolism and introduces to personalized venous thromboembolism risk assessment tools overseas. Thoughts are given on the development, amendment,application and validation of these tools. The paper provides a reference for building personalized venous thromboembolism risk assessment tools in China.

Risk assessment of venous thromboembolism in inflammatory bowel disease by inherited risk in a population-based incident cohort

Inflammatory bowel disease(IBD),including Crohn’s disease(CD)and ulcerative colitis(UC),is a chronic inflammatory disease of the digestive tract with increasing prevalence globally.Although venous thromboembolism(VTE)is a major complication in IBD patients,it is often underappreciated with limited tools for risk stratification.AIM To estimate the proportion of VTE among IBD patients and assess genetic risk factors(monogenic and polygenic)for VTE.METHODS Incident VTE was followed for 8465 IBD patients in the UK Biobank(UKB).The associations of VTE with F5 factor V leiden(FVL)mutation,F2 G20210A prothrombin gene mutation(PGM),and polygenic score(PGS003332)were tested using Cox hazards regression analysis,adjusting for age at IBD diagnosis,gender,and genetic background(top 10 principal components).The performance of genetic risk factors for discriminating VTE diagnosis was estimated using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve(AUC).RESULTS The overall proportion of incident VTE was 4.70%in IBD patients and was similar for CD(4.46%),UC(4.49%),and unclassified(6.42%),and comparable to that of cancer patients(4.66%)who are well-known at increased risk for VTE.Mutation carriers of F5/F2 had a significantly increased risk for VTE compared to non-mutation carriers,hazard ratio(HR)was 1.94,95%confidence interval(CI):1.42-2.65.In contrast,patients with the top PGS decile had a considerably higher risk for VTE compared to those with intermediate scores(middle 8 deciles),HR was 2.06(95%CI:1.57-2.71).The AUC for differentiating VTE diagnosis was 0.64(95%CI:0.61-0.67),0.68(95%CI:0.66-0.71),and 0.69(95%CI:0.66-0.71),respectively,for F5/F2 mutation carriers,PGS,and combined.CONCLUSION Similar to cancer patients,VTE complications are common in IBD patients.PGS provides more informative risk information than F5/F2 mutations(FVL and PGM)for personalized thromboprophylaxis.

Clinical significance of glycemic parameters on venous thromboembolism risk prediction in gastrointestinal cancer

To investigate the possible predictive role of routinely used glycemic parameters for a first venous thromboembolism (VTE) episode in gastrointestinal (GI) cancer ambulatory patients - with or without clinically diagnosed type 2 diabetes (T2D) or obesity - treated with chemotherapy.METHODSPre-treatment fasting blood glucose, insulin, glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) and homeostasis model of risk assessment (HOMA) were retrospectively evaluated in a cohort study of 342 GI cancer patients. Surgery was performed in 142 (42%) patients with primary cancer, 30 (21%) and 112 (79%) of whom received neoadjuvant and adjuvant therapies, respectively. First-line chemotherapy was administered in 200 (58%) patients with metastatic disease. The study outcome was defined as the occurrence of a first symptomatic or asymptomatic VTE episode during active treatment.RESULTSImpaired glucose tolerance (IGT) or T2D were diagnosed in 30% of GI cancer patients, while overweight/obesity had an incidence of 41%. VTE occurred in 9.4% of patients (7% of non-diabetic non-obese), especially in those with a high ECOG score (P = 0.025). No significant association was found between VTE incidence and T2D, obesity, different tumor types, metastatic disease, Khorana class of risk, or different anti-cancer drugs, although VTE rates were substantially higher in patients receiving bevacizumab (17% vs 8%, P = 0.044). Conversely, all glucose metabolic indexes were associated with increased VTE risk at ROC analysis. Multivariate Cox proportional analyses confirmed that HOMA index (HR = 4.13, 95%CI: 1.63-10.5) or fasting blood glucose (HR = 3.56, 95%CI: 1.51-8.39) were independent predictors of VTE occurrence during chemotherapy.CONCLUSIONThe results here reported demonstrate that evaluating glucose metabolic asset may allow for VTE risk stratification in GI cancer, helping to identify chemotherapy-treated patients who might benefit from thromboprophylaxis. Further multicenter prospective studies involving a larger number of patients are presently needed.

Eosinophilia complicated with venous thromboembolism:A case report

BACKGROUND Eosinophilia is an increase of more than 0.5×109/L in the number of eosinophils;it is a systemic condition with an unknown etiology and is often accompanied by multiple impaired organ functions.The clinical manifestations of the disease are highly variable and diverse,rendering identification of the diagnosis challenging;hence,diagnosis and treatment are often delayed.Very few reports of this disease exist globally,especially with rare manifestations of cerebral venous sinus thrombosis and hemorrhage.CASE SUMMARY A 32-year-old woman with eosinophilia presented to the hospital with bilateral lower-limb edema as the first clinical manifestation,followed by an extensive maculopapular rash throughout the body.She subsequently developed cerebral venous sinus thrombosis along with bilateral lower-limb deep vein thrombosis.Two weeks earlier,she had received a single course of antibiotics from a local hospital for a low-grade fever and sore throat.After various treatments were administered for anticoagulation,maintaining blood circulation,and relieving blood stasis,the lower extremity edema improved significantly;however,the patient’s eosinophil count gradually increased.She experienced cerebral venous sinus thrombosis,cerebral hemorrhage,and deep vein thrombosis of the lower limbs before being declared brain dead.In this case report,we have elaborated the diagnosis and management of deep vein thrombosis manifested as eosinophilia,thrombocytopenia,and elevated D-dimer levels.CONCLUSION Because proper diagnosis is challenging,clinical vigilance is required for patients with eosinophilia,as it can lead to thrombus formation.

Case-control analysis of venous thromboembolism risk in nonalcoholic steatohepatitis diagnosed by transient elastography

BACKGROUND Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease(NAFLD)is the most common cause of chronic liver disease worldwide.Studies have shown a strong association between nonalcoholic steatohepatitis(NASH)cirrhosis and portal vein thrombosis.Specifically,there is paucity of data on the association of NASH and venous thromboembolism(VTE),with one such study predicting a 2.5-fold increased risk for VTE compared to other liver diseases in hospitalized patients.The mechanism is believed to be a hepatocellular injury,which causes a chronic inflammatory state leading to the unregulated activation of procoagulant factors.There has been no prior analysis of the degree of steatosis and fibrosis(measured using transient elastography,commonly known as FibroScan)in NASH and its association with VTE.AIM To examine the association between the degree of hepatic steatosis and fibrosis,quantified by transient elastography,and the incidence of VTE in patients with NASH.METHODS In our case-control study,we included patients with a documented diagnosis of NASH.We excluded patients with inherited thrombophilia,hemoglobinopathy,malignancy,alcohol use disorder,autoimmune hepatitis,and primary biliary cirrhosis.The collected data included age,demographics,tobacco use,recreational drug use,medical history,and vibration controlled transient elastography scores.VTE-specific data included the location,type of anticoagulant,need for hospital stay,and history of VTE recurrence.Steatosis was categorized as S0-S1(mild)and S2-S3(moderate to severe)based on the controlled attenuation parameter score.Fibrosis was classified based on the kilopascal score and graded as F0-F1(Metavir stage),F2,F3,and F4(cirrhosis).χ^(2) and Mann-Whitney U tests were used for the qualitative and quantitative variable analyses,respectively.Furthermore,we performed a logistic regression using VTE as the dependent variable.RESULTS A total of 415 patients were analyzed,and 386 met the inclusion criteria.51 and 335 patients were included in the VTE and non-VTE groups,respectively.Patients with VTE had a mean age of 60.63 years compared to 55.22 years in the non-VTE group(P<0.014).Patients with VTE had a higher body mass index(31.14 kg/m²vs 29.30 kg/m²)and a higher prevalence of diabetes mellitus(29.4%vs 13.1%).The history of NASH was significantly higher in the VTE group(45.1%vs 30.4%,P<0.037).Furthermore,moderate-to-severe steatosis was significantly higher in the VTE group(66.7%vs 47.2%,P<0.009).Similarly,the F2-F4 fibrosis grade had a prevalence of 58.8%in the VTE group compared to 38.5%in the non-VTE group(P<0.006).On logistic regression,using VTE as a dependent variable,diabetes mellitus had an odds ratio(OR)=1.702(P<0.015),and F2-F4 fibrosis grade had an OR=1.5(P<0.033).CONCLUSION Our analysis shows that NASH is an independent risk factor for VTE,especially deep vein thrombosis.There was a statistically significant association between the incidence of VTE,moderate-to-severe steatosis,and fibrosis.All hospitalized patients should be considered for medical thromboprophylaxis,particularly those with NASH.

Acute myocardial infarction after initially diagnosed with unprovoked venous thromboembolism: A case report

BACKGROUND Protein C deficiency is typically associated with venous thromboembolism;however,arterial thrombosis has been reported in several cases.We report the case of a patient with pulmonary thromboembolism and deep vein thrombosis following acute myocardial infarction with high thrombus burden.CASE SUMMARY A 40-year-old man was diagnosed with pulmonary thromboembolism and deep vein thrombosis without any provoking factors.The patient was treated with anticoagulants for six months,which were then discontinued.Three months after the discontinuation of anticoagulant therapy,the patient was hospitalized with chest pain and diagnosed with acute myocardial infarction with high thrombus burden.Additional tests revealed protein C deficiency associated with thrombophilia.The patient was treated with anticoagulants combined with dual antiplatelet agents for 1 year after percutaneous coronary intervention,and no recurrent events were reported during a follow-up period of 5 years.CONCLUSION Recurrent thromboembolic events including acute myocardial infarction with thrombus should be considered an alarming sign of thrombophilia.

Venous thromboembolism in patients with COVID-19.A prevalent and a preventable complication of the pandemic

Coronavirus disease 2019 or most commonly known as COVID-19 is a trending global infectious disease which a few months ago was affirmed as a global health emergency or a pandemic by the WHO Emergency Committee.The common symptoms manifested in this pandemic disease are high grade fever,cough,fatigue,shortness of breath and flu like symptom which can evolve into severe respiratory disorders such as pneumonia,acute respiratory distress syndrome(ARDS)and/or end-organ failure.Factors that contribute to the severity or high mortality rate in COVID-19 include old age,comorbidities like hypertension,diabetes,hyperlipidaemia,neutrophilia,and organ and coagulation dysfunction.Disseminated intravascular coagulation and other various coagulopathies including Venous thromboembolism have known to become a major contributing factor to high mortality rate.Venous thromboembolism is a disease which is a combination of deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism.Prophylactic anticoagulation in patients prone to or with a pre-existing history of venous thromboembolism is associated with decreased mortality in severe COVID-19 pneumonia.This review article focuses upon COVID-19 and increased incidence of venous thromboembolism in patients infected by COVID-19 along with the role it has in high mortality rate in COVID-19 patients.

Effect of statins use on the prevention of venous thromboembolism: a meta-analysis

Objective: To estimate the effect of statins use on the prevention of venous thromboembolism (VTE). Methods: We systematically searched MEDLINE (1980-June 2012), EMBASE (1980-June 2012), Google Scholar, Cochrane Library, and ISI Web of Science, manually reviewed references, and contacted experts. Case-control studies and cohort studies that compared any dose of statin with no statin or placebo are included. Data extraction and study quality evaluation were independently conducted in duplicate. Results: 12 studies including four cohort studies and eight case-control studies were identified and eligible for meta-analysis. Upon meta-analysis, statin use was associated with a statistically significant reduction in the odds of developing VTE (OR 0.91, 95% CI 0.86-0.96). Conclusion: This meta-analysis of current and available literature suggests that statins can reduce patient's risk of developing VTE. Due to the limitations of observational study, this conclusion should be considered with caution, and additionally, specifical well-designed trials are needed.

Evaluation of Different Strategies for Prevention of Venous Thromboembolism in Elective Orthopedic Surgery

Our objective is to evaluate different pharmacologic strategies for VTE （venous thromboembolism） prophylaxis following orthopedic surgery at a tertiary academic medical center. This was a retrospective, observational study assessing the efficacy and safety of different strategies for VTE prophylaxis in elective total knee arthroplasty and total hip arthroplasty surgery patients. We evaluated warfarin at two different INR （international normalized ratio） goal ranges （1.5-2.5 and 1.8-2.3） and aspirin 325 mg once or twice daily. The main efficacy outcome was a composite of symptomatic deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism. The main safety outcome was incidence of major or minor bleeding. From January 2010 to June 2010, there were 190 patients in the warfarin group with INR range 1.5-2.5, 214 patients in the warfarin group with INR range 1.8-2.3, and 48 patients in the aspirin group. Of the three strategies, two primary events occurred in each of the warfarin groups （1.6% vs. 1.4%; P = 0.31）. There were no primary events in the aspirin group. Rates of major or minor bleeding were 4.2% in warfarin group INR 1.5-2.5 and 4.7% in warfarin group 1NR 1.8-2.3 （P = 0.19）, and 2.1% in the aspirin arm （P = 0.29）. There were no differences in the incidence of VTE in any of the treatment arms.