Although diagnostic guidelines are similar, there is a huge difference in pulmonary embolism (PE) prevalence between the United States of America (US) and countries outside the USA (OUS) in the ...emergency care setting. In this study, we prospectively analyze patients' characteristics and differences in clinical care that may influence PE prevalence in different countries.
An international multicenter prospective diagnostic study was conducted in a standard-of-care setting. Consecutive outpatients presenting to the emergency unit and suspected for PE were managed using the Wells score, STA-Liatest® D-Dimers and imaging.
The prevalence of PE in the study was 7.9% in low and moderate risk patients. Among the 1060 patients with low or moderate pre-test probability (PTP), PE prevalence was four times higher in OUS (10.7%) than in the US (2.5%) (P < 0.0001). The mean number of imaging procedures performed for one new PE diagnosis was 3.3 in OUS vs 17 in the US (P < 0.001). Stopping investigation in the case of negative D-dimers (DD combined) with low/moderate PTP was more frequent in OUS (92.7%) than in the US (75.7%) (P < 0.01). Moreover, the use of imaging was much higher in the US (44.4% vs 19.2% in OUS) in the case of moderate PTP combined with negative DD.
Differences between US and OUS PE prevalence in emergency setting might be explained by differences in patients' characteristics and mostly in care patterns. US physicians performed computed tomographic pulmonary angiography more often than in Europe in cases of low/moderate PTP combined with negative DD.
ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01221805.
Abstract The present report from several French medical societies in the field and the French National Authority for Health provides an expert consensus for the management of patients on vitamin K ...antagonists in at-risk situations (overdose, risk of bleeding, and active bleeding). Asymptomatic VKA overdose is defined as an International Normalized Ratio (INR) value above the upper limit of the therapeutic target. In this case, the guidelines describe the rapid reduction of the INR down to the therapeutic range, either by omitting a dose or using vitamin K. Regarding the haemorrhagic complications, the guidelines address the management of these patients according to the severity of bleeding, and especially focus on the use of prothrombin complex concentrate. Finally, the consensus addresses the management of patients in cases of elective or emergency surgery or other invasive procedures, and discusses whether treatment should be continued or not, and whether VKA substitution by heparin – “bridging anticoagulation” - is needed.
We aimed to identify risk factors for recurrent venous thromboembolism (VTE) after unprovoked pulmonary embolism.Analyses were based on the double-blind randomised PADIS-PE trial, which included 371 ...patients with a first unprovoked pulmonary embolism initially treated during 6 months who were randomised to receive an additional 18 months of warfarin or placebo and followed up for 2 years after study treatment discontinuation. All patients had ventilation/perfusion lung scan at inclusion (
at 6 months of anticoagulation).During a median follow-up of 41 months, recurrent VTE occurred in 67 out of 371 patients (6.8 events per 100 person-years). In main multivariate analysis, the hazard ratio for recurrence was 3.65 (95% CI 1.33-9.99) for age 50-65 years, 4.70 (95% CI 1.78-12.40) for age >65 years, 2.06 (95% CI 1.14-3.72) for patients with pulmonary vascular obstruction index (PVOI) ≥5% at 6 months and 2.38 (95% CI 1.15-4.89) for patients with antiphospholipid antibodies. When considering that PVOI at 6 months would not be available in practice, PVOI ≥40% at pulmonary embolism diagnosis (present in 40% of patients) was also associated with a 2-fold increased risk of recurrence.After a first unprovoked pulmonary embolism, age, PVOI at pulmonary embolism diagnosis or after 6 months of anticoagulation and antiphospholipid antibodies were found to be independent predictors for recurrence.
Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a complex disease that has a major genetic component of risk. To identify genetic factors that may modify the risk of VTE, we conducted a genome-wide association study ...by analyzing approximately 317 000 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 453 VTE cases and 1327 controls. Only 3 SNPs located in the FV and ABO blood group genes were found associated with VTE at a genome-wide significant level of 1.7 × 10−7. Detailed analysis of these SNPs in additional cohorts of more than 1700 cases and 1400 controls revealed that the association observed at the FV locus was the result of the increased risk mediated by the FV Leiden mutation, whereas O and A2 blood groups were found to be at lower risk for VTE. Apart from the FV and ABO loci, no other locus was found strongly associated with VTE. However, using this large cohort of subjects, we were able to replicate the mild effects of 2 nonsynonymous SNPs, rs1613662 in GP6 and rs13146272 in CYP4V2, recently suspected to be associated with VTE.
Objective Bypass surgery is regularly performed for the treatment of critical limb ischemia, but the risk of occlusion remains significant. Antiplatelet therapy in patients with arterial disease is ...useful for secondary cardiovascular and bypass occlusion prevention. However, despite the common use of an antiplatelet agent, especially aspirin, which became the standard of care, the risk of graft occlusion persists. The best antithrombotic treatment for bypass patency therefore remains a matter of debate. Methods We conducted a systematic literature search to identify studies and consensus reporting the use of antithrombotic treatment to prevent bypass occlusion. We excluded case reports and clinical trials with a placebo arm. Results Aspirin remains the mainstay of treatment to improve infrainguinal bypass patency; however, the effect differs according to the bypass material used. The greatest beneficial effect of antiplatelet agents was observed with prosthetic bypasses. In such cases, the addition of clopidogrel to aspirin, for at least 1 year, in patients who benefited from a below-knee bypass graft significantly improved bypass patency (occlusion 32% vs 47% for aspirin alone; P = .02) and the amputation rate (9.4% vs 19.2% for aspirin alone; P = .03), without increasing the incidence of major hemorrhage. In contrast, antiplatelet regimens were less efficacious for autologous vein bypasses. The addition of a vitamin K antagonist (VKA) is not routinely proposed because of the increased incidence of associated major hemorrhage. The use of VKA alone, instead of aspirin, should probably be discussed in selected patients, and a combination of VKA and antiplatelet agents should be discussed in patients with venous infrainguinal bypasses considered to be at a high risk for occlusion. Conclusions Although aspirin remains the first-line treatment to prevent infrainguinal bypass occlusion, future studies are needed to define stronger recommendations.
The optimal duration of anticoagulation after a first episode of unprovoked deep-vein thrombosis is uncertain. We aimed to assess the benefits and risks of an additional 18 months of treatment with ...warfarin
placebo, after an initial 6 months of anticoagulation for a first unprovoked proximal deep-vein thrombosis. We conducted a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, controlled trial comparing an additional 18 months of warfarin with placebo in patients with a unprovoked proximal deep-vein thrombosis initially treated for 6 months (treatment period: 18 months; follow up after treatment period: 24 months). The primary outcome was the composite of recurrent venous thromboembolism or major bleeding at 18 months. Secondary outcomes were the composite at 42 months, as well as each component of the composite, and death unrelated to pulmonary embolism or major bleeding, at 18 and 42 months. All outcomes were centrally adjudicated. A total of 104 patients, enrolled between July 2007 and October 2013 were analyzed on an intention-to-treat basis; no patient was lost to follow-up. During the 18-month treatment period, the primary outcome occurred in none of the 50 patients in the warfarin group and in 16 out of 54 patients (cumulative risk, 29.6%) in the placebo group (hazard ratio, 0.03; 95% confidence interval: 0.01 to 0.09;
<0.001). During the entire 42-month study period, the composite outcome occurred in 14 patients (cumulative risk, 36.8%) in the warfarin group and 17 patients (cumulative risk, 31.5%) in the placebo group (hazard ratio, 0.72; 95% confidence interval: 0.35-1.46). In conclusion, after a first unprovoked proximal deep-vein thrombosis initially treated for 6 months, an additional 18 months of warfarin therapy reduced the composite of recurrent venous thrombosis and major bleeding compared to placebo. However, this benefit was not maintained after stopping anticoagulation.
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Peripheral artery disease of the lower limbs (PAD) is a common disease. Evaluation of PAD is primarily based on non-invasive examinations with analysis of the arterial Doppler signal being a key ...element. However, the description of arterial Doppler waveforms morphologies varies considerably across medical schools and from country to country. In order to overcome this issue, the French College of Teachers for Vascular Medicine (Collège des Enseignants de Médecine Vasculaire; CEMV) has summarised the published data on Doppler waveforms analysis and proposes a new "Saint-Bonnet" classification system to describe Doppler waveforms morphologies. The simplified Saint-Bonnet classification comprises eight types and allows taking into account if the Doppler signal does not revert to baseline. This classification, which is based on previous classifications, could improve the descriptions of both physiological and pathological waveforms, recorded in lower limb arteries. According to the reviewed literature, recommendations about the use of Doppler waveforms are proposed. This statement is a preamble to reach an international consensus on the subject, which would standardize the description of arterial waveforms and improve the management of PAD patients.
Distal deep vein thrombosis (infrapopliteal DVT without proximal DVT or pulmonary embolism PE) generally shares the same triggering risks factors as proximal DVT. In women of childbearing age, a ...frequent triggering risk factor is the use of combined oral contraceptive (COC) pills. However, data on the epidemiology and long‐term outcomes of COC‐associated distal DVT are lacking.
To assess the epidemiology and long‐term outcomes of COC‐associated distal DVT.
Using data from the OPTIMEV (Optimisation de l’Interrogatoire dans l’évaluation du risque thrombo‐Embolique Veineux Optimization of Interrogation in the Assessment of Thromboembolic Venous Risk) multicenter cohort study of patients with objectively confirmed venous thromboembolism (VTE) enrolled between 2004 and 2006, we assessed in nonpregnant or postpartum women aged ≤ 50 years without cancer or history of VTE (i) proportion of COC‐associated distal DVTs among women with distal DVTs and among women with COC‐associated VTEs (distal DVT, proximal DVT, or PE) and (ii) 3‐year incidence of death, bleeding, and VTE recurrence.
COC‐associated distal DVTs (n = 54) represented 43.9% of all distal DVTs and 51.9% of COC‐associated VTEs. All but one woman with a COC‐associated distal DVT received therapeutic anticoagulation for a median of 3 months. At 3‐year follow‐up, all women with COC‐associated distal DVTs were alive, and none had bled during anticoagulant treatment or had experienced a DVT or PE recurrence after stopping anticoagulants. Similar results were found in patients with COC‐associated proximal DVT and PE: The VTE recurrence rate was 1.7% per patient‐year (PY) and 0% PY, respectively, and there were no deaths or major bleeds in either group.
Distal DVT was the most frequent clinical presentation of COC‐associated VTE and had similarly favorable long‐term outcomes as other COC‐associated VTE.
Characterisation of arterial Doppler waveforms is a persistent problem and a source of confusion in clinical practice. Classifications have been proposed to address the problem but their efficacy in ...clinical practice is unknown. The aim of the present study was to compare the efficacy of the categorisation rate of Descotes and Cathignol, Spronk et al. and the simplified Saint-Bonnet classifications.
This is a multicentre prospective study where 130 patients attending a vascular arterial ultrasound were enrolled and Doppler waveform acquisition was performed at the common femoral, the popliteal, and the distal arteries at both sides. Experienced vascular specialists categorized these waveforms according to the three classifications.
of 1033 Doppler waveforms, 793 (76.8%), 943 (91.3%) and 1014 (98.2%) waveforms could be categorized using Descotes and Cathignol, Spronk et al. and the simplified Saint-Bonnet classifications, respectively. Differences in categorisation between classifications were significant (Chi squared test,
< 0.0001). Of 19 waveforms uncategorized using the simplified Saint-Bonnet classification, 58% and 84% were not categorized using the Spronk et al. and Descotes and Cathignol classifications, respectively.
The results of the present study suggest that the simplified Saint-Bonnet classification provides a superior categorisation rate when compared with Spronk et al. and Descotes and Cathignol classifications.
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