Evaluation of Thromboprophylaxis Appropriateness in Hospitalized Medical Patients
Deep Vein ThrombosisPulmonary Embolism1 moreConsidering observational studies that suggested a relationship between acutely ill medical patients and venous thromboembolism (VTE), interventional studies with anticoagulant medications indicated a marked decline in VTE during and after hospitalization. Despite the therapeutic value of lowering this result, there is a low inclination to utilize anticoagulants in patients hospitalized for acute medical diseases. This observational research aims to assess the appropriateness of venous thromboprophylaxis offered to patients admitted to internal medicine wards.
An Observational Study About Adverse Outcomes in Acute Pulmonary Embolism Patients
Pulmonary Embolism and ThrombosisDeterioration1 moreThis multi-center retrospective study collected clinical, laboratory, and CT pulmonary angiography parameters with acute pulmonary embolism patients from admission to predict adverse outcomes within 30 days after admission into hospital.
Searching for Explanations for Cryptogenic Stroke in the Young: Revealing the Etiology, Triggers,...
Brain InfarctionIschemic Stroke3 moreBACKGROUND: In industrialized countries a considerable and increasing proportion of strokes occur at younger ages. Stroke at young age causes marked disability at worst and thus long-standing socioeconomic consequences and exposes survivors for 4-fold risk of premature death compared with background population. Up to 50% of young patients with ischemic stroke remain without definitive etiology for their disease despite extensive modern diagnostic work-up (i.e. cryptogenic stroke). The group of cryptogenic strokes includes those with patent foramen ovale (PFO) or other abnormalities in the atrial septum in the heart as the only or concomitant finding. Population prevalence of PFO is high, 25%, and the mechanisms how PFO would be associated causally with ischemic stroke remain to be clarified. Moreover, there are only scarce data on clinical outcome, long-term risk of new vascular events, and prevention of such events in these patients. DESIGN: Searching for Explanations for Cryptogenic Stroke in the Young: Revealing the Etiology, Triggers, and Outcome (SECRETO) is an international prospective multicenter case-control study of young adults (age 18-49) presenting with an imaging-positive first-ever ischemic stroke of undetermined etiology (aim N=2000). Patients are included after standardized diagnostic procedures (brain MRI, imaging of intracranial and extracranial vessels, cardiac imaging, and screening for coagulopathies) and age- and sex-matched to healthy controls in a 1:1 fashion. Up to 45 study sites worldwide will be needed to recruit the planned participant population during a 3-year period. Neurovascular imaging and echocardiography studies, and ECGs will be read centrally. AIMS: SECRETO involves five principal fields of investigation: (1) Stroke triggers and clinical risk factors; (2) Long-term prognosis (new vascular events, functional and psychosocial outcomes); (3) Abnormalities of thrombosis and hemostasis; (4) Biomarkers of e.g. inflammation, atherogenesis, endothelial function, thrombosis, platelet activation, and hemodynamic stress to characterize postulated cryptogenic stroke mechanisms; and (5) genetic study, including genome-wide association and candidate gene studies as well as next-generation sequencing approach. All analyses consider cardiac functional and interatrial structural properties as a possible mediator. Furthermore, SECRETO Family Study (substudy) aims at collecting extensive family history of thrombotic events from informative patients being screened for SECRETO main study and collect genetic samples from all consenting family members for whole-genome sequencing. SIGNIFICANCE: SECRETO will provide novel information on clinical and subclinical risk factors, both transient and chronic, predisposing to cryptogenic ischemic stroke in young adults. This study also reveals long-term prognosis of this understudied patient population and may discover new genetic background underlying the disease mechanism and provide potential targets for drug development.
Evaluation of Hemostasis in Bleeding and Thrombotic Disorders
Blood Coagulation DisordersInherited1 moreThe objective of this study will be to assess the coagulation system in-vitro in a variety of bleeding and clotting disorders using the ROTEG analyzer and the thrombin generation assay.
The Effect of Team Sports on the Risk of Thrombosis in Elderly Individuals in a Municipality Setting...
ThrombosisExercise Training1 moreCardiovascular disease, and especially myocardial infarction, is the most common cause of death globally, and is particularly common in older individuals. Practical measures that can reduce both the prevalence and incidence of cardiovascular disease are of great value. It is well known that regular physical activity has a protective effect against the development of cardiovascular diseases such as acute myocardial infarction. It has been shown that physical activity can improve the function of the heart and blood vessels, but it is less well known how physical activity can affect the risk of formation of dangerous blood clots, and thus the risk of heart attack and stroke. In a cross-sectional study it has been shown that a physically active lifestyle can reduce the risk of blood clot formation, but experimental evidence for the importance of a period of physical activity for the risk of blood clot formation is lacking. New methods have been set up for measuring the coagulation profile. The analyzes are performed on a blood sample and allow a thorough determination of platelet reactivity as well as an innovative measure of how the microstructure of a possible blood clot would develop. In this project, these methods is used to examine how physical activity, in the form of team sports, affects the coagulation profile of elderly men and women. The increasing age-related risk of cardiovascular disease is associated with endothelial dysfunction and decrease in capillary density, and it has been shown that initiation of capillary growth is a successful method to treat cardiovascular disease. Therefore, this project will also investigate how a longer period of physical activity, in the form of team sports, affects capillary density and endothelial function in men and women aged 60-70 years. Both men and women will be recruited, as it is still unknown whether men and women respond differently to physical activity in relation to coagulation profile, susceptibility to blood clots and capillary density.
Apixaban for Routine Management of Upper Extremity Deep Venous Thrombosis
Deep Venous ThrombosisUpper Extremity Deep Venous Thrombosis3 moreThis study will assess the safety and effectiveness of a drug called apixaban for the treatment of upper extremity deep vein thrombosis (UEDVT) and clinically important bleeding. Subjects will receive apixaban 10 mg by mouth twice a day for 7 days, followed by 5 mg by mouth twice a day for a duration of 11 weeks. There will be a followup visit at 12 weeks for all participants. A total of 375 are to be enrolled. The study drug has been approved to treat blood clots. The study drug has not been studied uniquely for the treatment of blood clots in the upper extremity however. Because it is unknown whether it is effective to treat blood clots in the upper extremity, the principal investigator cannot guarantee that there will be benefit to study subjects; however, it is hoped that the information obtained from this research study will help treat patients in the future.
Resolution of Left Atrial-Appendage Thrombus - Effects of Dabigatran in Patients With AF
Atrial Fibrillation or Atrial FlutterThrombosis of Left Atrial AppendageThe primary objective of this study is to assess whether Dabigatran leads to a faster complete left atrial appendage (LAA) thrombus resolution as compared to Phenprocoumon. The secondary objectives of this trial are to assess the impact of Dabigatran versus Phenprocoumon on complete LAA thrombus resolution rate until week 6 and change in LAA thrombus volume under treatment as well as to assess and compare safety and tolerability of both drugs. A total of 110 patients with atrial fibrillation and LAA thrombus will be randomized to receive either Dabigatran (150 mg bid) or Phenprocoumon (INR 2-3) for a least three weeks. Thrombus resolution will be determined by transoesophageal echocardiography (TEE) 3 weeks after start of study treatment and subsequently at week 4 and 6 if necessary, i.e. LAA thrombus has not yet resolved. The study is terminated for each patient with the resolution of the LAA thrombus. For those patients whose thrombus still exists after 6 weeks treatment, the study is also terminated. Further treatments will be decided at the discretion of the treating physician.
Electronic KIDCLOT Interactive Thrombosis/Thrombophilia Education; A Quality Assurance Initiative...
Health LiteracyAnticoagulationEffective patient education improves health literacy and engagement thus improving long-term health outcomes. Health literacy is imperative to make informed health decisions and relies on the ability to obtain, process and understand health information; and is the cornerstone of safe health management. It is necessary to evaluate educational initiatives to determine their effectiveness in knowledge translation. A more effective way to provide patient education is to utilize media technology. Current education styles do not teach patients in the best way as they are not consistent with how people of all ages currently learn (through technology). In addition, patient teaching most commonly occurs during highly stressful times like hospital visits with new diagnoses. Current patient educational methods are costly given the amount of health provider time required. Electronic KITE teaching modules are infographic visual representations that present information quickly and clearly, integrating words and graphics to tell a story to reveal information. Infographic presentations are tools which facilitate self-directed learning with understandable, accessible information presented in an engaging way with an aim to enhance learning for children and their families. Patients are able to learn at a pace consistent with their learning style to facilitate knowledge development and health literacy.
Efficacy and Safety of Apixaban in the Treatment of Heparin Induced Thrombocytopenia (HIT)
Heparin-induced ThrombocytopeniaHeparin-induced Thrombocytopenia and ThrombosisThis research study is studying a drug as a possible treatment for heparin induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) or Heparin-induced Thrombocytopenia and Thrombosis (HITT). The drug involved in this study is apixaban.
Targeted Metabolic Profiling in Deep Vein Thrombosis
Deep Vein ThrombosisDeep venous thrombosis(DVT) is a blood clot, usually affecting the legs, causing pain, swelling, and redness. The clot damages the veins, which can result in chronic pain, swelling and ulceration. This is called the post-thrombotic syndrome, which impacts heavily on patients' life and work. If the clot dislodges and travels to the lungs, it becomes a pulmonary embolus (PE), which can be life threatening. Together, DVT and PE affect 500,000 people in Europe every year, representing the most common cause of hospital acquired death. They are expensive diseases due to the cost of treatment and the days lost from people being unable to work. DVT is diagnosed by clinical examination, risk scoring and a blood test called D dimer, a product of the clot. If negative, it is unlikely that DVT is present. However, many conditions can raise D-dimer levels, making it less useful when positive. Ultrasound can confirm the presence of clot but often this is not seen. The clot can take time to form and patients may not experience symptoms immediately. This is a problem for treatment, as new, clot-busting medication works best in the first 2 weeks after a DVT and it is difficult to tell when the clot formed. Metabonomics is highly sensitive technology that detects very small chemicals; it is being used successfully in cancer and is a tool that can help better understand DVT and generate new tests to help patients. Previous departmental work has shown that a chemical difference exists in patients with DVT. The aim of this study is to not only confirm the presence of these chemicals in a different group of DVT patients, but also to calculate chemical concentrations. This will improve the investigator's understanding of how DVT develops and provide a way to develop a test that is better than D-dimer.