Ruling Out Pulmonary Embolism During Pregnancy:a Multicenter Outcome Study
Pulmonary EmbolismDeep Vein ThrombosisVenous thromboembolism (VTE) remains a major cause of maternal morbidity and mortality in developed countries. Objective diagnosis of pulmonary embolism (PE) and/or deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in pregnancy is crucial. Failure to identify PE or/or DVT will place the mother's life at risk, and unnecessary treatment will not only expose her to anticoagulants but will also label her as having had VTE. Thus, this diagnosis has serious implications for the management of her present pregnancy, and for other aspects of her life ranging from contraception to thromboprophylaxis in future pregnancies and hormone replacement therapy in later life. It is therefore critical that all women with symptoms or signs that suggest venous thromboembolism have appropriate investigation and diagnosis based on objective diagnostic tests. The current diagnostic approach in suspected PE is based on sequential diagnostic tests: 1) assessment of clinical probability, 2) fibrin D-dimer measurement, 3) compression ultrasonography of lower limb veins and 4) multi-slice computed tomography (MSCT). However, physicians are reluctant to perform MSCT in pregnant women because of potential adverse effect of radiation exposure to the fetus. For this reason, ventilation/perfusion or perfusion-only lung scan has been the cornerstone of PE diagnosis in pregnant women. Indeed, perfusion lung scan was assumed to be associated with less radiation than computed tomography (CT). However, this technique is now widely abandoned in the usual diagnostic strategy of PE for the following reasons: it is not widely available; its interpretation may be difficult and the test may be inconclusive in the presence of other chest abnormalities. Moreover, recent data convincingly show that the radiation exposure associated with single-slice or multi-slice CT exposes the fetus to less radiation than perfusion lung scan. However, the use of CT has never been adequately validated in pregnant women with clinically suspected PE. The investigators, therefore, plan to set up a prospective management study in which pregnant women with suspected PE will undergo a sequential diagnostic strategy based on 1) assessment of clinical probability 2) D-dimer measurement 3) compression ultrasonography, and 4) MSCT. Nowadays, the overestimated fear of radiation exposure for the fetus leads to an irrational attitude and inadequate investigations in pregnant women with suspected PE, even though both European [3, 4] and North-American guidelines [5] suggest that only objective testing may accurately rule out the disease. The proposed study should lead to an increased awareness of the risks and benefits of appropriate imaging in pregnant women suspected of PE and should result in a more rational management of this under-studied patient group.
3 Screen Electronic Alert
Deep Vein ThrombosisPulmonary Embolism1 moreEvaluation of physician responses to BICS-Clinical Information 3-screen alerts that informs the clinician that his/her patient may be eligible for thromboprophylaxis.
Epidemiology Study in Major Orthopaedic Surgery
ThrombosisPostoperative Complications1 moreThe purpose of this study is to: Create a database including a description of the patient population that undergoes total hip replacement with special emphasis on orthopedic and cardiovascular complications and the quality of life 1 year postoperatively. Characterise the patient at risk for the above mentioned events Create methods for predicting patients at risk for short-term (90 days) and long term (1 year) complications in relation to hip replacement surgery.
Thrombogenic Factors and Recurrent Coronary Events
Cardiovascular DiseasesHeart Diseases6 moreTo determine if selected circulating blood factors that reflect enhanced thrombogenesis are associated with an increased incidence of recurrent coronary events, including cardiac death or non-fatal myocardial infarction.
Role of EUS Guided FNA of Portal Vein Thrombus in the Diagnosis and Staging of Hepatocellular Carcinoma...
Portal Vein ThrombosisSince not every portal vein thrombus (PVT) in a patient with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a tumor thrombus, since the nature of the thrombus will ultimately determine the course of treatment, and since PVT may be even the initial sign of an undetected HCC, every effort should be made to distinguish between a tumor and a non-tumor PVT. In addition, malignant PVT does not always demonstrate neovascularity and/or enhancement, which makes fine needle aspiration (FNA) necessary in order to characterize the nature of the PVT. Sampling of portal vein thrombus with trans-abdominal ultrasound guidance may lead to erroneous results because of inadvertent inclusion of normal hepatocytes or associated liver masses. Further, potential adverse events of trans-abdominal portal vein sampling include serious biliary and/or vascular injury. In contrast to the percutaneous approach, Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) provides a unique view and access to the main portal vein. From the duodenal bulb and second part of the duodenum, the portal vein can be visualized from the confluence of the splenic and superior mesenteric veins into the porta hepatis. Periportal collateral vessels or cavernous transformation of the portal vein, which commonly are associated with portal vein thrombosis, are also easily and reliably detected by EUS instruments with color Doppler US capability. With a linear-array echo-endoscope, the portal vein can be punctured easily with a fine needle under direct visualization, while avoiding the adjacent hepatic artery, bile duct, and collateral vessels (if present). Because the approach is not trans-hepatic, it eliminates any need to avoid the primary tumor and any possibility of contaminating the specimen with hepatocytes, as can occur if the needle tracks through the liver parenchyma. Thus, the rate of false-positive diagnoses is likely to be lower with the EUS compared with the percutaneous approach
Evaluation of Cerebrovascular Events in Patients With Occlusive Carotid Artery Disorders
Carotid StenosisCarotid Artery Plaque1 moreAs of today, no suitable multiparametric predictive method is available to properly estimate stroke risk in patients with carotid artery stenosis. Carotid artery stenosis is one of the proven risk factors of stroke incidence, but the indication of its intervention is merely the grade of stenosis itself. The current international guidelines suggest intervention for asymptomatic patients only with potentially high risk plaques but pharmacological treatment is advised to low risk patients. Unfortunately there is no proven and widely accepted system to distinguish these two categories of patients with carotid artery stenosis. In this project the following parameters will be assessed both in asymptomatic and symptomatic patients: 1, preoperative stroke risk prediction based on comparative analysis of CT angiography (CTA) results of plaque morphology and ultrasound (US) based plaque elastography analysis, 2) intracranial bloodflow will be measured by transcranial Doppler sonography(TCD), 3) presence recent of silent brain ischemia on diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) MR (magnetic resonance), 4) retinal perfusion measurement by optical coherence tomography angiography (OCT). The investigators aim to establish a clinically meaningful and more accurate (than stenosis grade) stroke risk prediction algorithm for asymptomatic carotid stenosis patients based on these parameters.
Prevention of Post-STEMI Left Ventricular Thrombus With Optimized Anticoagulant (EARLYmyo-LVT Ⅱ)...
ST Segment Elevation Myocardial InfarctionLeft Ventricular ThrombusLeft ventricular thrombus is a common complication subsequent to ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) that related to increased embolic events. This study aims to assess the efficacy and safety outcomes of Rivaroxaban on the prevention of post-STEMI left ventricular thrombus.
Functional Training for the Prevention of Deep Venous Thrombosis
Ankle MotionGynecologic Neoplasm2 moreThis study aims to analyze the post-operative functional training on the prevention of deep venous thrombosis (DVT) in the patients who have accepted major surgeries for the gynecological malignancies. The functional training consists of: (1) active and passive ankle pump motions including flexion and extension, circumduction; (2) abdominal breathing training. The primary end is the incidence of DVT happened 30 days from surgery. The secondary ends include the patients satisfaction about functional training.
Efficacy and Safety of Short-term Postoperative Anticoagulant Therapy to Prevente Thrombosis in...
ThrombosisMany guidelines at home and abroad advocate that arteriovenous fistula should be the first choice of permanent vascular access, but it is easy to form thrombus in a short time after arteriovenous fistula molding, resulting in internal fistula stenosis or occlusion. In this study, the investigators plan to screen the patients with arteriovenous fistula in the blood purification center of our hospital. Through the study design of random grouping and open label, the investigators will discuss the use of low molecular weight heparin or warfarin to prevent thrombosis in a short period of time after arteriovenous fistula operation. According to the research results, the investigators will understand efficacy and safety of short-term postoperative anticoagulant therapy to prevente thrombosis in arterovenous fistula.
Impact of Pharmacists' Training on Oral Anticoagulant Counseling
Deep Vein ThrombosisPulmonary Embolism1 moreThis study evaluates the impact of community pharmacists' educational training on the nature and adequacy of counseling provided to patients on warfarin, an oral anticoagulant. Half of the community pharmacists participating in the study will receive a two-week educational training on how to adequately counsel patients on warfarin while the other half of community pharmacists will receive the same training after the study. A mystery patient model will be used in this intervention study where six different trained and standardized individuals will act as patients. Each of these mystery patients will supposedly have pulmonary embolism, deep vein thrombosis, or atrial fibrillation. The mystery patient will visit each pharmacy to buy warfarin or complain about adverse drug reaction been experienced. It is expected that pharmacists will provide relevant information and counseling to these patients on the use of the medication warfarin and how to handle the adverse drug reactions.