A Study on Risk Factors for Venous Thromboembolism and the Requirement of Thromboprophylaxis in Pregnancy and Postpartum Period in a Tertiary Care Centre in South Asian Country: A Cross Sectional Study

Introduction: Thrombosis is a major cause of maternal death worldwide. During pregnancy, the risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) increases fourfold to five-fold and contributes towards maternal morbidity and mortality. Sri Lanka does not have a proper assessment tool to detect and manage it in the antenatal care. Objectives: To identify risks factors for VTE among pregnant mothers, postpartum mothers according to RCOG (Royal College of Obstetricians) risk categorization and to assess the requirement of thromboprophylaxis. Method: A cross sectional study was conducted at the antenatal clinics and obstetrics and gynaecology wards (ward 2, 5, 8) of De Soysa Hospital for Women in 2021. Obstetric thromboprophylaxis risk assessment tool recommended by the RCOG was used for the risk assessment of pregnant mothers during the antenatal and postpartum period. Results: In antenatal period, obesity (BMI > 35), age more than 35 years and parity more than 3 were the commonest risk factors. Out of 404 mothers, 67.33% did not have any risk factors. Among others, 18.56%, 0.40%, 2.72%, 0.99% had a score of 1, 2, 3 and 4 respectively. Patients with intermediate (0.99%) and high risk (2.72%) were commenced on thromboprophylaxis from 28 weeks. The low-risk category was not started on any treatment (28.96%, n = 97). Approximately 96% of mothers did not require any thromboprophylaxis during antenatal period. Another 404 postnatal mothers were recruited for the study group. Elective caesarean section and caesarean section during labour were the main risks identified other than pre-existing antenatal risks. 39.95 % of mothers did not have any risk factors and 37.22% of mothers had a score of 1. Conclusions: VTE risk assessment tool can be implemented at national level to detect patients at risk of VTE and improve maternal care.

Perioperative thromboprophylaxis in liver transplant patients

Improvements in surgical and anesthetic procedures have increased patient survival after liver transplantation(LT). However, the perioperative period of LT can still be affected by several complications. Among these, thromboembolic complications(intracardiac thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, hepatic artery and portal vein thrombosis) are relatively common causes of increased morbidity and mortality. The benefit of thromboprophylaxis in general surgical patients has already been established, but it is not the standard of care in LT recipients. LT is associated with a high bleeding risk, as it is performed in a setting of already unstable hemostasis. For this reason, the role of routine perioperative prophylactic anticoagulation is usually restricted. However, recent data have shown that the bleeding tendency of cirrhotic patients is not an expression of an acquired bleeding disorder but rather of coexisting factors(portal hypertension, hypervolemia and infections). Furthermore, in cirrhotic patients, the new paradigm of ‘‘rebalanced hemostasis' ' can easily tip towards hypercoagulability because of the recently described enhanced thrombin generation, procoagulant changes in fibrin structure and platelet hyperreactivity. This new coagulation balance, along with improvements in surgical techniques and critical support, has led to a dramatic reduction in transfusion requirements, and the intraoperative thromboembolic-favoring factors(venous stasis, vessels clamping, surgical injury) have increased the awareness of thrombotic complications and led clinicians to reconsider the limited use of anticoagulants or antiplatelets in the postoperative period of LT.

New oral pharmacotherapeutic agents for venous thromboprophylaxis after total hip arthroplasty

Patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty(THA)are at high risk for developing venous thromboembolism and,therefore,require short term prophylaxis with antithrombotic agents.Recently,target specific oral anticoagulants(TSOA)including the direct thrombin inhibitor,dabigatran,and the factorⅩa inhibitors rivaroxaban,apixaban,and edoxaban have been approved for THA thrombopropylaxis in various countries.The TSOAs provide a rapid acting,oral alternative to parenteral agents including low-molecular weight heparins(LMWH)and fondaparinux;and compared to warfarin,they do not require routine laboratory monitoring and possess much fewer drug-drug interactions.Based on phaseⅢclinical studies,TSOAs have established themselvesas an effective and safe option for thromboprophylaxis after THA compared to LMWH,particularly enoxaparin,but require additional evaluation in specific populations such as the renally impaired or elderly.The ability to monitor and reverse these TSOAs in the case of bleeding complications or suspected sub-or supra-therapeutic anticoagulation is of importance,but remains investigational.This review will focus on the drug-specific characteristics,efficacy,safety,and economic impact of the TSOAs for thromboprophylaxis following THA,as well as the aspects of therapeutic monitoring and anticoagulation reversal in the event of bleeding complications or a need for urgent reversal.

Evaluation of Thromboprophylaxis Practice in Hospitalized Patients in the Medical Department of Saint Jean de Dieu Hospital of Thies, Senegal

Introduction: Venous thromboembolism disease (VTE) is a common complication of hospitalization. Objective: To assess the practice of thromboprophylaxis in hospitalized patients in the department of medicine. Patients and Methods: It is an observational cross-sectional study conducted from 01 February to 31 March 2019 in the medical departments of the Saint Jean de Dieu Hospital of Thies. All the patients hospitalized with at least 18 years of age were included. The thromboembolic risk was assessed with the Padua score and thromboprophylaxis?assessed according to the ACCP 2012 recommendations. Results: One hundred and forty four patients were included. Seventy-one (49.3%) were in the high thromboembolic risk category. The most frequently reported risk factors were mobility impairment (n = 72;50%), age of 70 years or above (n = 35;24.3%), heart failure (n = 23;16%), acute infections (n = 14;9.7%) and cancers (n = 13;9.02%). The prevention of venous thromboembolism was practiced in 25 of the 71 patients with high thromboembolic risk or a rate of 35.2%. Thromboprophylaxis was exclusively drug-based with Enoxaparin. Conclusion: The practice of prophylaxis for VTE was low in the medical departments. Efforts still need to be made to reduce the high rate of thromboembolic complications associated with hospitalization.

Thromboprophylaxis for Hip and Knee Arthroplasty: Current Managements and Review of the Literature

Total Hip Arthroplasty (THA) and Total Knee Arthroplasty (TKA) are major surgical procedures which can cause high morbidity and even mortality. Among these complications is venous thrombo embolism (VTE) comprising deep vien thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE). Therefore, after these operations, thromboprophylaxis is routinely used. However, it has some complications such as bleeding, adverse effect of chemical agents for using prevention of DVT. Anti-thrombotic prophylaxis includes: low molecular weight heparin (LMWH), fondaparinux, apixaban, dabigatran, rivaroxaban, low dose unfractionated heparin (LDUH), adjusted dose vitamin K antagonist (VKA), aspirin, or mechanical thromboprophylaxis devices. All over the World, orthopaedic surgeons consider a balance between thromboprophylaxis and bleeding. However, it has been still controversy about optimum prophylaxis for DVT. In this current paper, we aimed to review the literature under light of the current studies.

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.

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.

Arterial complications, venous thromboembolism and deep venous thrombosis prophylaxis after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction: A systematic review

AIM To summarize the current knowledge on vascular complications and deep venous thrombosis(DVT) prophylaxis after anterior cruciate ligament(ACL) reconstruction.METHODS A systematic review was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses statement. MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane,Web of Science, CINAHL, PubMed publisher, and Google scholar medical literature databases were searched up to November 10, 2015. Any arthroscopic surgical method of primary or revision intra-articular ACL reconstruction of all graft types in humans was included. A risk of bias assessment was determined.RESULTS Fourty-seven studies were included in the review.Pseudaneurysms were the most frequently reported arterial complication after ACL reconstruction, irrespective of graft type or method of graft fixation with an incidence of 0.3%. The time to diagnosis of arterial complications after ACL reconstruction varied from days to mostly weeks but even years. After ACL reconstruction without thromboprophylaxis, the incidence of DVT was 9.7%, of which 2.1% was symptomatic. The incidence of pulmonary embolism was 0.1%. Tourniquet time > 2 h was related to venous thromboembolism.Thromboprophylaxis is indicated in patients with risk factors for venous thromboembolism.CONCLUSION After ACL reconstruction, the incidence of arterial complications,symptomatic DVT and pulmonary embolism was 0.3%, 2.1% and 0.1% respectively. Arterial complications may occur with all types of arthroscopic ACL reconstruction, methods of graft fixation as well as any type of graft. Patients considered to be at moderate or high risk of venous thromboembolism should routinely receive thromboprophylaxis after ACL reconstruction.

Atrial fibrillation in heart failure: The sword of damocles revisited

Heart failure (HF) and atrial fibrillation (AF) frequently coexist and have emerged as major cardiovascular epidemics. There is growing evidence that AF is an independent prognostic marker in HF and affects patients with both reduced as well as preserved LV systolic function. There has been a general move in clinical practice from a rhythm control to a rate control strategy in HF patients with AF, although recent data suggests that rhythm control strategies may provide better outcomes in selected subgroups of HF patients. Furthermore, various therapeutic modalities including pace and ablate strategies with cardiac resynchronisation or radio-frequency ablation have become increasingly adopted, although their role in the management of AF in patients with HF remains uncertain. This article presents an overview of the multidimensional impact of AF in patients with HF. Relevant literature is highlighted and the effect of various therapeutic modalities on prognosis is discussed. Finally, while novel anticoagulants usher in a new era in thromboprophylaxis, research continues in avariety of new pathways including selective atrial anti-arrhythmic agents and genomic polymorphisms in AF with HF.

Thromboembolic disease in patients with rheumatoid arthritis undergoing joint arthroplasty: Update on prophylaxes

The risk of venous thromboembolism(VTE) in rheumatoid arthritis(RA) and the higher incidence of RA patients undergoing major orthopedic surgery is well recognized. The objective of the present study is to describe the incidence of VTE and discuss the correct prophylaxis in RA patients undergoing knee or hip replacement. A systematic review of studies on thromboprophylaxis in RA patients undergoing major orthopedic surgery was performed. Detailed information was extracted to calculate the rate of VTE in RA orthopedic patients and analyze the thromboprophylaxis performed and bleeding complications. Eight articles were eligible for full review. No difference in the overall rate of VTE was observed between RA patients and controls. No significant differences were found in RA patients in terms of bleeding complications. The data on the optimal prophylaxis to be used in RA patients were insufficient to recommend any of the several options available. In the absence of dedicated guidelines for the care of RA patients undergoing orthopedic surgery,management must be individualized to obtain favorablepatient outcome, weighing up all the factors that might put the patient at risk for higher bleeding and thrombotic events.

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.

Thromboembolic events in metastatic testicular cancer treated with cisplatin-based chemotherapy

BACKGROUND Testicular germ cell tumor(TGCT)is the most curable solid tumor and most common cancer among men 18-39 years.While cisplatin-based chemotherapy has significantly lengthened the survival of patients with TGCT,it is associated with a high rate of thromboembolic events(TEE).AIM To summarize our single-center experience highlighting patients who were diagnosed with TGCT and received platinum-based chemotherapy,with special attention to those patients who suffered a TEE.METHODS A retrospective analysis of the medical records and imaging studies of 68 consecutive individuals who were diagnosed with TGCT and received platinumbased chemotherapy at our Institution in a metropolitan community between January 1,2014 and December 31,2019.RESULTS A total of 19(28%)patients experienced a TEE following orchiectomy which occurred during chemotherapy in 13(68%)of these patients.Patients with a higher pathologic stage(stage III)were significantly(P=0.023)more likely to experience a TEE compared to patients who had a lower stage.Additionally,patients who were treated with 3 cycles of bleomycine,etoposide,and cisplatin and 1 cycle of etoposide and cisplatin or 4 cycles of etoposide and cisplatin were significantly 5(P=0.02)times more likely to experience a TEE compared to patients who were treated with only 3 cycles of bleomycine,etoposide,and cisplatin.CONCLUSION Due to numerous factors that predispose to a TEE such as large retroperitoneal disease,higher clinical stage,greater number of chemotherapy cycle,central venous catheter,cigarette smoking,and possible cannabis use,high-risk ambulatory patients with TGCT treated with cisplatin-based chemotherapy may benefit from prophylactic anticoagulation.Randomized studies to evaluate the safety and efficacy of prophylactic anticoagulants are warranted in this young patient population generally devoid of medical co-morbidities.

Safety of liver resection in patients receiving antithrombotic therapy:A systematic review of the literature

BACKGROUND Little is unknown about the effect of chronic antithrombotic therapy(ATT)on bleeding complication during or after hepatectomy.In addition,the safety and effectiveness of chemical prevention for venous thromboembolism(VTE)is still controversial.AIM To clarify the effect of ATT on thromboembolism and bleeding after liver resection.METHODS Articles published between 2011 and 2020 were searched from Google Scholar and PubMed,and after careful reviewing of all studies,studies concerning ATT and liver resection were included.Data such as study design,type of surgery,type of antithrombotic agents,and surgical outcome were extracted from the studies.RESULTS Sixteen published articles,including a total of 8300 patients who underwent hepatectomy,were eligible for inclusion in the current review.All studies regarding patients undergoing chronic ATT showed that hepatectomy can be performed safely,and three studies have also shown the safety and efficacy of preoperative continuation of aspirin.Regarding chemical prevention for VTE,some studies have shown a potentially high risk of bleeding complications in patients undergoing chemical thromboprophylaxis;however,its efficacy against VTE has not been shown statistically,especially among Asian patients.CONCLUSION Hepatectomy in patients with chronic ATT can be performed safely without increasing the incidence of bleeding complications,but the safety and effectiveness of chemical thromboprophylaxis against VTE during liver resection is still controversial,especially in the Asian population.Establishing a clear protocol or guideline requires further research using reliable studies with good design.

Incidence and Clinical Characteristics of Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) after Total Knee Arthroplasty (TKA) with DVT Chemoprophylaxis

Objective: Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is very common and leading cause of death due to this procedure. The objective of this study was to investigate the incidence and clinical characteristics of DVT after TKA with DVT chemoprophylaxis. Methods: This is a prospective cohort study in single institution. The patients received postoperative DVT chemoprophylaxis (low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) or Fondaparinux), followed by duplex ultrasonography to check for DVT 1 - 2 weeks after TKA. The clinical characteristics were summarized and analysed by chi-square test and regression analysis. Results: Five hundred and thirty four patients were enrolled from January 2007 to December 2010. DVT chemoprophylaxis was administered in 524 (98.1%) of the 534 patients. DVT occurred in 9 subjects (1.69%);8 subjects had DVT in the leg, and 1 subject had a pulmonary embolism. Among them, asymptomatic DVT was observed in 5 patients (0.94%). Univariate analysis showed that surgical methods (revision, P = 0.0007), body mass index (BMI) (>25, P = 0.0028), low platelet count (less than 150 × 103, P = 0.0219), time in the intensive care unit (ICU) (P < 0.0001), no administration of prophylactic LMWH (P = 0.0392), and a history of DVT (P < 0.0001) were significant risk factors of DVT. Conclusions: The incidence of DVT was 1.69% after TKA with prophylactic antithrombotic therapy. Revision surgery, BMI, low platelet count, time in ICU, absence of prophylactic LMWH and history of DVT were significant risk factors of DVT.

Bilateral Massive Pulmonary Embolism on Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation (DIVC) after Severe Postpartum Haemorrhage

The authors report a case of bilateral pulmonary embolism (PE) with intermediate risk at the University Hospital center of Treichville (CHUT). This is a postpartum PE in a 37-year-old obese, multiparous woman with postpartum hemorrhage from uterine rupture after vaginal delivery initiated by injectable oxytocin. This postpartum haemorrhage was managed by massive transfusion and hysterectomy. The initiation of thromboprophylaxis was delayed in view of its coagulation record, the first 3 days. Later, the patient presented respiratory distress for which the completion of a pulmonary angioscanner made it possible to make the diagnosis of PE whose clinical evolution under heparinotherapy was favorable.

Intracranial Venous and Mesenteric Vein Thrombosis in a Case of Lung Cancer with Brain, Bone, and Leptomeningeal Metastasis

Cancer patients with venous thromboembolism (VTE) are not rare, and the second death cause in patients with cancer is VTE. Although VTE itself is associated with reduced survival particularly in cancer patients, many oncologists may not place enough importance in positive prevention of VTE. Here, we report the case of a 38-year-old male lung cancer patient with brain, bone and leptomeningeal metastasis who diagnosed as a consequential intracranial venous and mesenteric vein thrombosis. The evolution of headache has not been noted gradually, from which led to the underestimation of headache and without careful consideration on the possibility of suspected intracranial venous thrombosis. The problem of mesenteric vein thrombosis reflects the dilemma resulted from the potential risk of thrombogenesis and the high risk of hemorrhage. Preventive anticoagulation strategies are key means especially in patients with cancer, and the management problems of this condition are discussed.

Effectivity of Thromboprophylxie in Dakar’s Medical Areas

Introduction: Venous thromboembolic disease (VTE) is a real public health problem worldwide. The practice guide produced periodically by the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP) has become the international standard. However, thromboprophylaxis remains underused. Methodology: We carried out a descriptive cross-sectional study. The goals of that study were to evaluate the effectiveness of the practice of thromboprophylaxis in the various medical services of the Dakar Public Hospitals. Our investigation was conducted for two weeks in September 2017. Results: 160 patients were included (81 men and 79 women) in our series, with male predominance: sex ratio of 1.02. The average age was 48. Infectious pathologies were the predominant clinical pictures (35% of cases). The thromboembolic risk factors (RF) mainly found were represented by prolonged bed rest, followed by cardiovascular (RF): age greater than 60 years (31.2%), hypertension (8.8%), obesity (4.4%) and diabetes (3.8%). The thromboembolic RF of patients hospitalized in these medical services has been evaluated empirically. We noted a lack of use of the VTE risk assessment scores. 40.9% (n = 56) of patients received overall VTE prophylaxis, a rate corresponding to almost half of those at risk (51.4%). This result reflects an under-use of thromboprophylaxis in the Dakar medical environment and a low level of adherence by practicians to the guidelines on VTE prophylaxis. Conclusion: It is therefore recommended to develop a national strategy to assess patients at risk for VTE, as well as measures to educate and inform doctors about the appropriate forms of thromboprophylaxis.

Association of ABCB1 gene polymorphisms rs1128503, rs2032582, rs4148738 with anemia in patients receiving dabigatran after total knee arthroplasty

Purpose:Dabigatran is usually prescribed in recommended doses without monitoring of the blood coagulation for the prevention of venous thromboembolism after joint arthroplasty.ABCB1 is a key gene in the metabolism of dabigatran etexilate.Its allele variants are likely to play a pivotal role in the occurrence of hemorrhagic complications.Methods:The prospective study included 127 patients with primary knee osteoarthritis undergoing total knee arthroplasty.Patients with anemia and coagulation disorders,elevated transaminase and creatinine levels as well as already receiving anticoagulant and antiplatelet therapy were excluded from the study.The association of ABCB1 gene polymorphisms rs1128503,rs2032582,rs4148738 with anemia as the outcome of dabigatran therapy was evaluated by single-nucleotide polymorphism analysis with a realtime polymerase chain reaction assay and laboratory blood tests.The beta regression model was used to predict the effect of polymorphisms on the studied laboratory markers.The probability of the type 1 error(p)was less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant.BenjaminiHochberg was used to correct for significance levels in multiple hypothesis tests.All calculations were performed using Rprogramming language v3.6.3.Results:For all polymorphisms there was no association with the level of platelets,protein,creatinine,alanine transaminase,prothrombin,international normalized ratio,activated partial thromboplastin time and fibrinogen.Carriers of rs1128503(TT)had a significant decrease of hematocrit(p=0.001),red blood count and hemoglobin(p=0.015)while receiving dabigatran therapy during the postoperative period compared to the CC,CT.Carriers of rs2032582(TT)had a significant decrease of hematocrit(p=0.001),red blood count and hemoglobin(p=0.006)while receiving dabigatran therapy during the postoperative period compared to the GG,GT phenotypes.These differences were not observed in carriers of rs4148738.Conclusion:It might be necessary to reconsider thromboprophylaxis with dabigatran in carriers of rs1128503(TT)or rs2032582(TT)polymorphisms in favor of other new oral anticoagulants.The longterm implication of these findings would be the reduction of bleeding complications after total joint arthroplasty.

Potential mechanisms of resistance to current antithrombotic strategies in Multiple Myeloma

Multiple Myeloma(MM)is a common haematological malignancy that is associated with a high rate of venous thromboembolism(VTE)with almost 10% of patients suffering thrombosis during their disease course.Recent studies have shown that,despite current thromboprophylaxis strategies,VTE rates in MM remain disappointingly high.The pathophysiology behind this consistently high rate of VTE is likely multifactorial.A number of factors such as anti-thrombin deficiency or raised coagulation Factor VIII levels may confer resistance to heparin in these patients,however,the optimal method of clinically evaluating this is unclear at present,though some groups have attempted its characterisation with thrombin generation testing(TGT).In addition to testing for heparin resistance,TGT in patients with MM has shown markedly varied abnormalities in both endogenous thrombin potential and serum thrombomodulin levels.Apart from these thrombin-mediated processes,other mechanisms potentially contributing to thromboprophylaxis failure include activated protein C resistance,endothelial toxicity secondary to chemotherapy agents,tissue factor abnormalities and the effect of immunoglobulins/“M-proteins”on both the endothelium and on fibrin fibre polymerisation.It thus appears clear that there are a multitude of factors contributing to the prothrombotic milieu seen in MM and further work is necessitated to elucidate which factors may directly affect and inhibit response to anticoagulation and which factors are contributing in a broader fashion to the hypercoagulability phenotype observed in these patients so that effective thromboprophylaxis strategies can be employed.