Pulmonary embolism and deep vein thrombosis caused by nitrous oxide abuse: A case report

BACKGROUND Nitrous oxide(N2O)has gained increasing popularity as a recreational drug,causing hallucinations,excitation,and psychological dependence.However,side effects have been reported in recent years.Our case report proposes a correlation among N2O,pulmonary embolism(PE),and deep vein thrombosis(DVT)and emphasizes the role of homocysteine(Hcy)in thrombotic events.CASE SUMMARY A 29-year-old man with long-term N2O abuse sought evaluation after acute chest pain.A diagnostic workup revealed PE,DVT,and hyperhomocysteinemia.The patient was successfully treated with thrombolytic and anticoagulant therapy.Moreover,his Hcy level decreased and returned to normal after Hcy-lowering therapy.CONCLUSION Chronic N2O abuse might increase the risk of PE and DVT,although there have been few studies previously.

Pulmonary Embolism and Deep Vein Thrombosis in a Woman Taking Contraceptives and with Unhealthy Life Habit:a Case Report

QRAL contraceptives are widely used to prevent pregnancy. A number of studies have dem- onstrated the increased risk of venous throm- boembolism in women taking oral contracep-tives.1, 2 Pulmonary embolism （PE） and deep vein throm- bosis （DVT） are two clinical presentations of venous thromboembolism which share the same predisposing factors.3 This article described a female patient who taked oral contraceptives and had an unhealthy life habit de- veloped PE and DVT. CASE DESCRIPTION

Pitfalls and sources of error of color duplex ultrasonography in detecting deep vein thrombosis of proximal lower extremities

Purpose To analyze the sources of errors and discuss the techniques to eliminate pitfalls in detecting deep vein thrombosis (DVT) of the proximal lower extremities with color duplex ultrasonography (CDUS). Methods Sixty-eight cases with initial and repeat venous CDUS of the proximal lower extremities were retrospectively reviewed. The repeat was done within 24 hours after initial CDUS scanning. Comparing repeated images to initial ones, the pitfalls and sources of error in CDUS of the proximal lower extremities were discussed. Results In total 68 repeat studies, there were 62 results as same as initials and 4 cases of false negative DVT and 2 cases of false positive DVT. Conclusion Venous CDUS in detecting DVT is observer dependent. Some pitfalls and errors can be eliminated and corrected with proper scan techniques. CDUS is the most valuable imaging modality for assessing suspected DVT in the proximal lower extremities.

Deep Venous Thrombosis of Lower Limbs: Prevalence, Risk Factors and Treatment in Semi-Urban Areas in Senegal

Context and Objectives: Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a potentially serious affection because it can be complicated by life-threatening pulmonary embolism. Epidemiological data are scarce in Africa. The objective of this work was to describe the prevalence, risk factors and treatment of deep venous thrombosis (DVT) in Ziguinchor. Methodology: This was a retrospective study carried out at the Ziguinchor Peace Hospital from January 1, 2016 to June 30, 2020. We included in the study all patients of both sexes, aged at least 18 years and hospitalized with DVT of the lower limb confirmed by venous Doppler ultrasound. Results: A total of 64 patients were hospitalized for DVT of the lower limbs during the study, for a hospital prevalence of 3.9%. The average age of the patients was 53 years (±17.6). A female predominance was noted with an M/F sex ratio of 0.7. The main risk factors found were the age ≥ 60 years (36%) and infectious pathologies (17%). Clinical signs were dominated by lower limb pain (93.8%) and lower limb edema (92%). The lower limbs’ venous Doppler ultrasound showed a predominance of thrombosis in the left lower limb (56%). The femoral vein was the most affected in 90% of cases. The patients had all benefited from an anticoagulant treatment mainly by a low molecular weight heparin relayed from the 1st day by an antivitamin K that was acenocoumarol in 97% of the cases. The average length of hospitalization was 10 days. The complications found were pulmonary embolism (8%) and accident with anticoagulants (3%). Hospital mortality was 6%. The average cost of care was 164.000 CFA francs. Conclusion: DVT is a multifactorial pathology;its treatment requires the control of risk factors. In our study, it was more frequent in the elderly.

Pulmonary Embolism after Bilateral Upper Limb Surgeries: A Case Report and Review of Literature

Pulmonary embolism following upper limb surgery is a very rare complication. Here we present a unique case report of a 54-year-old young, fit and healthy, and non-smoker male who developed bilateral pulmonary embolism (PE) 26 days post-operatively with no associated upper or lower limb Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT). This patient had minimal preoperative as well as intra-operative risk factors. He did not develop any thromboembolic symptoms until the 26th-day post-surgery when he developed sudden, sharp, pleuritic chest pain and laboured breathing. Initial baseline bloods showed a raised D-Dimer and the patient subsequently had a CT pulmonary angiogram that confirmed the presence of bilateral massive PEs. However, subsequent extremity ultrasound showed no upper or lower deep venous thrombosis. Thorough review of literature suggests that sudden development of PEs after upper limb surgery is possible, with a few cases being reported in the past. Symptoms such as sudden upper limb swelling, troubled breathing and systemic symptoms should be evaluated aggressively with a CT pulmonary angiogram, given the fact that an ultrasound of the extremities may be negative for deep venous thrombosis.

Echocardiographic findings in pulmonary embolism: An important guide for the management of the patient

Echocardiography can be used as an easy, inexpensive, devoid of complications and, for the most part, universally available tool for the risk stratification of patient with acute pulmonary embolism. Because of its low sensibility, an echocardiogram is best indicated in a patient in whom hypotension and or shock are suspected to be due to pulmonary embolism. Pertinent findings in the echocardiogram can justify the use of fibrinolytic therapy. Most common echocar-diographic findings in acute pulmonary embolism are: dilatation of the right ventricle, right ventricular dysfunction in some cases with preservation of the motility of the apex, dilatation of the inferior vena cava with lack of collapse during inspiration flattening of the interventricular septum suggesting right ventricular pressure overload and pulmonary hypertension based on the jet of tricuspid regurgitation if available.

Pulmonary infarct masquerading as community-acquired pneumonia in the COVID-19 scenario: A case report

BACKGROUND Pulmonary embolism(PE)requires a high degree of clinical suspicion for its diagnosis and can mimic pneumonia due to its clinical,radiological,and laboratory findings.Co-existence of PE and pneumonia can also occur,which is surprisingly more common than appreciated.CASE SUMMARY Here,we report a case of a young male who initially presented during the peak of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic with features of pneumonia.He was kept under observation and was later diagnosed and treated for a right main pulmonary artery embolism without any identifiable source of thrombosis.CONCLUSION PE and pneumonia share common clinical,radiological,and laboratory findings that may delay the diagnosis of PE.Hypoxia disproportionate to the extent of radiological involvement could be an indicator of an underlying PE.

Facing the challenge of venous thromboembolism prevention in patients undergoing major abdominal surgical procedures for gastrointestinal cancer

Venous thromboembolism(VTE)refers to a hypercoa-gulable state that remains an important and preven-table factor in the surgical treatment of malignancies.VTE includes two identical entities with regards to deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism.The incidence of VTE after major abdominal interventions for gastro-intestinal,hepato-biliary and pancreatic neoplastic disor-ders is as high as 25%without prophylaxis.Prophylactic use of classic or low-molecular-weight heparin,anti-Xa factors,antithrombotic stocking,intermittent pneumatic compression devices and early mobilization have been described.Nevertheless,thromboprophylaxis is often dis-continued after discharge,although a serious risk may persist long after the initial triggering event,as the coagu-lation system remains active for at least 14 d post-opera-tively.The aim of this review is to evaluate the results of the current practice of VTE prevention in cancer patients undergoing major abdominal surgical operations,with special attention to adequately elucidated guidelinesand widely accepted protocols.In addition,the recent literature is presented in order to provide an update on the current concepts concerning the surgical manage-ment of the disease.

Venous thromboembolism prophylaxis in hospitalized elderly patients： Time to consider a ＇MUST＇ strategy

Venous thromboembolism （VTE） is the commonest cause of preventable death in hospitalized patients. Elderly patients have higher risk of VTE because of the high prevalence of predisposing co-morbidities and acute illnesses. Clinical diagnosis of VTE in the elderly patient is particularly difficult and, as such, adequate VTE prophylaxis is of pivotal importance in reducing the mortality and morbidities of VTE. Omission of VTE prophylaxis is, however, very common despite continuous education. A simple way to overcome this problem is to implement universal VTE prophylaxis for all hospitalized elderly patients instead of selective prophylaxis for some patients only according to individual＇ s risk of VTE. Although pharmacological VTE prophylaxis is effective for most patients, a high prevalence of renal impairment and drug interactions in the hospitalized elderly patients suggests that a multimodality approach may be more appropriate. Mechanical VTE prophylaxis, including calf and thigh compression devices and/or an inferior vena cava filter, are often underutilized in hospitalized elderly patients who are at high-risk of bleeding and VTE. Because pneumatic compression devices and thigh length stockings are virtually risk free, mechanical VTE prophylaxis may allow early or immediate implementation of VTE prophylaxis for all hospitalized elderly patients, regardless of their bleeding and VTE risk. Although the cost-effectiveness of this Multimodality Universal STat （＇MUST＇） VTE prophylaxis approach for hospitalized elderly patients remains uncertain, this strategy appears to offer some advantages over the traditional ＇selective and single-modal＇ VTE prophylaxis approach, which often becomes ＇hit or miss＇ or not implemented promptly in many hospitalized elderly patients. A large clustered randomized controlled trial is, however, needed to assess whether early, multimodality, universal VTE prophylaxis can improve important clinical outcomes of hospitalized elderly patients.

The effects of obesity on venous thromboembolism: A review

Obesity has emerged as a global health issue that is associated with wide spectrum of disorders, including coronary artery disease, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, stroke, and venous thromboembolism (VTE). VTE is one of the most common vascular disorders in the United States and Europe and is associated with significant mortality. Although the association between obesity and VTE appears to be moderate, obesity can interact with other environmental or genetic factors and pose a significantly greater risk of VTE among individuals who are obese and who are exposed simultaneously to several other risk factors for VTE. Therefore, identification of potential interactions between obesity and certain VTE risk factors might offer some critical points for VTE interventions and thus minimize VTE morbidity and mortality among patients who are obese. However, current obesity measurements have limitations and can introduce contradictory results in the outcome of obesity. To overcome these limitations, this review proposes several future directions and suggests some avenues for prevention of VTE associated with obesity as well.

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.

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.

Progress in the Research on Venous Thromboembolism

Summary： Venous thromboembolism （VTE） is a common disease with high risk for death and recur- rence and can severely impair patients＇ quality of life. Despite decades of study on this troublesome disease, there are still many unsolved problems in terms ofpathogenesis, diagnosis and treatment. Hun- dreds of articles with various study methods and controversial research results are published every year. Thus it is crucial to keep track of reliable recent studies and articles on VTE in order to better under- stand it and to handle intricate related clinical events more reasonably. We reviewed high-qualified arti- cles and guidelines from recent years and summarized VTE-related progresses in this review.

Assessment of nurses’knowledge of the prevention of hospital-associated venous thromboembolism in a tertiary health institution in Nigeria

Objective:This study assessed the level of nurses’knowledge of the prevention of venous thromboembolism(VTE)in a tertiary health institution.Materials and Methods:This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted with 328 eligible respondents,selected using a random sampling method in a teaching hospital in Nigeria.A self-administered structured questionnaire was used to collect data on the basic knowledge,risk factors,and preventive measures of VTE.Results:Findings from the study revealed that 51.2%scored above the mean score of 28.6±3.1.The educational status of the respondents had a significant influence on their knowledge of risk factors of VTE(F=4.696,P=0.031).Conclusion:The overall knowledge of nurses is satisfactory,although the majority could not answer correctly questions on the administration of prefilled anticoagulants and identification of some key risk factors of VTE.

Lay Stress on Study of Venous Thromboembolism

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) including deepvein thrombosis(DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE).Its occurs in about 1 per 1 000 individuals per years.Thrombosis is a serious disorder. It may be fatal by PE(case fatality rate of venous thrombosis is estimated at1% to 2%) (Figure 1). A substantial proportion

腔静脉滤器的应用进展

深静脉血栓(DVT)是临床常见的疾病,急性期发生血栓脱落可引起肺栓塞(PE),其病死率极高。应用腔静脉滤器拦截DVT脱落的栓子流向右心房可有效降低PE的发生率及其危害程度。腔静脉滤器可根据放置位置的不同分为下腔静脉滤器和上腔静脉滤器。下腔静脉滤器又可因使用时间的不同分为永久性滤器和非永久性滤器,后者可进一步细分为临时性、可回收性、可转换型滤器等。本文就近年来国内外关于预防PE的滤器种类和治疗效果进行简要综述,旨在为临床医师合理选用腔静脉滤器提供参考。

外伤后左下肢深静脉血栓形成伴发肺栓塞合并髂静脉压迫综合征法医学鉴定1例

下肢深静脉血栓是道路交通事故损伤后常见的并发症之一,外伤、手术及术后制动可引起血流减慢、血液凝固性增高,是深静脉血栓形成常见的继发性危险因素。而自身病变也可以是深静脉血栓形成的不利因素,但是在司法鉴定过程中往往会被忽略。本文通过1例外伤后左下肢深静脉血栓形成伴发肺栓塞合并自身髂静脉压迫综合征的案例,从病因机制、病程转归、症状体征、影像学表现等方面分析交通事故与下肢深静脉血栓形成的关系,为法院审理民事赔偿案件、化解社会矛盾提供更有效的依据。

合并下肢深静脉血栓恶性肿瘤患者并发肺栓塞的危险因素分析

目的探讨合并下肢深静脉血栓恶性肿瘤患者并发肺栓塞的相关危险因素。方法回顾性分析124例合并下肢深静脉血栓的恶性肿瘤患者的临床资料。结果共纳入124例,其中并发PE者为观察组共19例(占15.3%),未发生PE者105例纳入对照组。下肢DVT血栓侧别在两组间存在统计学差异(P=0.030)。多因素Logistic回归分析显示,住院期间化疗[化疗vs.未化疗,OR=3.495(95%CI:1.081~11.304,P=0.037)]为合并下肢DVT恶性肿瘤患者并发PE的独立危险因素。结论住院期间接受化疗是合并下肢DVT的恶性肿瘤患者发生PE的显著危险因素,更积极的CTPA筛查及早期干预是必要的。

肺动脉压和脑钠肽对静脉血栓导致肺栓塞的预测价值

目的探讨当下肢深静脉血栓,螺旋CT肺血管成像无法完成检查时,通过经胸壁超声心动图测定肺动脉多项指标,血液检查脑钠肽及心肌酶的数值,评估其对急性肺动脉栓塞预测的价值。方法选88例APE住院治疗患者为病例组,90名健康体检者为对照组。根据病例组肌钙蛋白、肌红蛋白、BNP数值,病例组分为中危组与低危组;对照组为无肺栓塞组。以CTPA为肺栓塞诊断依据,比较3组人群TTE、BNP及心肌酶水平,绘制受试者工作特征曲线。结果急性肺动脉栓塞中危组与对照组比较,肺动脉压、BNP差异具有统计学意义(P<0.05),其中肺动脉压(OR=0.751,95%CI=0.646~0.881,P<0.001)、BNP(OR=0.957,95%CI=0.931~0.985,P=0.003);ROC曲线图得到肺动脉压AUC=0.900(95%CI=0.842~0.958)、BNP AUC=0.896(95%CI=0.826~0.966),根据约登指数得出,最佳截断值肺动脉压为33mmHg,BNP为47.52pg/mL。结论肺动脉压与脑钠肽极有可能是下肢深静脉血栓并发急性肺栓塞的独立预测因素,可视为预测急性肺动脉栓塞的重要参考依据。

优化术中流程对合并下肢深静脉血栓的手术患者术后结局的影响

目的探讨优化术中流程对合并下肢深静脉血栓(DVT)的手术患者术后结局的影响。方法收集2019年3月至2022年2月于首都医科大学附属北京积水潭医院接受手术治疗的合并下肢DVT患者的临床资料,将2019年3月至2021年4月采取术中常规处理的患者作为常规处理组(n=51),将自2021年5月开始采取术中优化流程的患者作为优化流程组(n=61)。比较两组患者的手术相关指标和术后结局。结果优化流程组患者的手术时间短于常规处理组患者,全身麻醉、术中低体温及术中输血的比例均低于常规处理组患者,术中出血量少于常规处理组患者,差异均有统计学意义(P﹤0.05)。优化流程组患者术后D-二聚体水平低于常规处理组患者(P﹤0.05)。优化流程组患者术后大腿周径差、小腿周径差及血栓长度均短于常规处理组患者(P﹤0.05)。两组患者住院期间均无死亡病例。优化流程组无患者发生肺栓塞,常规处理组有6例患者发生不同程度的肺栓塞,经过积极治疗后均治愈。两组患者术后肺栓塞的发生率比较,差异有统计学意义(P=0.020)。结论对于合并下肢DVT的手术患者,优化术中流程可以降低全身麻醉的使用率和术中输血的比例,减少术中出血量和低体温的发生,最终改善下肢DVT相关的临床表现,并有效预防继发的肺栓塞。