Short-term prognosis of intracranial haemorrhage in patients on oral anticoagulant or antiplatelet drugs.

Background: Intracranial haemorrhage (ICH) is the most feared complication of oral vitamin K antagonists (VKAs) and antiplatelet drugs. Little data are available on the clinical course of antithrombotic drug-associated ICHICH. The main aim of the VKA- and Antiplatelet Drug-Associated ICH Prognosis (VAIP) study is to investigate predictors of short-term prognosis in ICH patients, and to analyse characteristics and prognosis of patients with antithrombotic drugs-associated ICH.

Mild antithrombin deficiency and risk of recurrent venous thromboembolism: a prospective cohort study.

Background: Antithrombin deficiency, defined by antithrombin levels of <70%, is a major thrombophilic condition associated with an increased risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE). No prospective data are available about the risk of recurrent VTE associated with mildly decreased antithrombin levels (70-80%).

Methods And Results: Consecutive patients with a first VTE were stratified according to functional antithrombin levels (<70%, 70-80%, >80%) and were followed up for a mean of 8.

Pulmonary embolism severity index accurately predicts long-term mortality rate in patients hospitalized for acute pulmonary embolism.

Background: The Pulmonary Embolism (PE) Severity Index (PESI) is a clinical prognostic rule that accurately classifies PE patients into five risk classes with increasing mortality. PESI score has been validated in studies with a relatively short-term follow-up and its accuracy in predicting long-term prognosis has never been established.

Methods: Consecutive patients admitted to the tertiary care hospital of Varese (Italy) with an objectively diagnosed PE between January 2005 and December 2009 were retrospectively included.

Optimal treatment duration of venous thrombosis.

Randomized controlled trials have shown that patients with venous thromboembolism benefit from a minimum of three months of anticoagulant therapy. After this period, it was suggested that patients with an expected annual recurrence rate of < 5% could safely discontinue treatment. Using a population-based approach for stratification, these patients are those with major transient risk factors, and represent the minority.

Nonadherence with INR monitoring and anticoagulant complications.

Introduction: This study tests the hypothesis that nonadherence with INR monitoring is associated with an increased risk for warfarin-related bleeding and thrombosis and describes patient characteristics associated with INR monitoring nonadherence.

Materials And Methods: This was a retrospective, longitudinal, matched cohort study wherein patients were categorized into adherent and nonadherent cohorts; adherent patients were matched 2:1 to nonadherent patients. The primary study endpoint was the first occurrence of bleeding or thromboembolism.

Risk of recurrence of unusual site venous thromboembolism.

The term unusual site venous thrombosis defines uncommon clinical manifestations of venous thromboembolism occurring in sites different from the lower limbs or the lungs, with peculiar pathophysiological features and clinical history. Information on long-term outcomes of unusual site thrombosis is generally scant, because most studies are small and usually retrospective. Recurrence rate of cerebral vein thrombosis is about 2/100 patient-years; the only identified predisposing factors have been male gender and personal history of thrombosis.

Diagnostic accuracy of lung ultrasound for pulmonary embolism: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Computed tomographic pulmonary angiography (CTPA) has simplified the diagnostic approach to patients with suspected pulmonary embolism (PE). However, PE diagnosis is still probabilistic and CTPA should be used with caution in some patient groups, such as patients with severe renal insufficiency and pregnant women. Among alternative imaging tests, lung ultrasound is the most promising technique.

Relationship between ABO blood group and hemorrhage: a systematic literature review and meta-analysis.

Several studies have suggested that patients with non-O blood group have an increased risk of both venous and arterial thromboembolic events. On the contrary, the role of ABO blood group on the risk of bleeding complications remains unclear. Thus, we performed a meta-analysis of the literature with the aim of assessing this potential association.

Angiotensin II type 1 and type 2 receptor expression in circulating monocytes of diabetic and hypercholesterolemic patients over 3-month rosuvastatin treatment.

Background: In diabetes, a variety of pro-inflammatory cellular changes has been found in various cell types, including monocytes which are known to be involved in all the phases of atherogenesis. Angiotensin II (Ang II) type 1 receptor (AT1R) mediates the pro-atherogenic effects of Ang II whereas the type 2 receptor (AT2R) seems associated with atheroprotection. We sought to investigate the potential changes of AT1R-AT2R expression in human monocytes of type 2 diabetic- hypercholesterolemic patients and in hypercholesterolemic subjects, upon clinical treatment with rosuvastatin.

In-hospital mortality for pulmonary embolism: relationship with chronic kidney disease and end-stage renal disease. The hospital admission and discharge database of the Emilia Romagna region of Italy.

The impact of chronic kidney disease (CKD) on the outcome of acute pulmonary embolism (PE) is uncertain. We aimed to evaluate the effect of renal dysfunction (defined by ICD-9-CM codification) on in-hospital mortality for PE. We considered all cases of PE (first event) recorded in the database of hospital admissions for the Emilia-Romagna region, Italy, from 1999 to 2009.

The short- and long-term risk of venous thromboembolism in patients with acute spinal cord injury: a prospective cohort study.

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a frequent complication in the acute setting after spinal cord injury (SCI). Less is known about the long-term risk of VTE in these patients. It was the aim of this study to prospectively evaluate the short- and long-term risk of VTE in a cohort of patients after acute SCI and during rehabilitation and post-rehabilitation follow-up period.

Anticoagulant therapy for venous thromboembolism during pregnancy: a systematic review and a meta-analysis of the literature.

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is one of the most relevant causes of maternal death in industrialized countries. Low molecular weight heparin (LMWH), continued throughout the entire pregnancy and puerperium, is currently the preferred treatment for patients with acute VTE occurring during pregnancy. However, information on the efficacy and safety of anticoagulant drugs in this setting is extremely limited.

Accuracy of emergency physician-performed ultrasonography in the diagnosis of deep-vein thrombosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Duplex ultrasound is the first-line diagnostic test for detecting lower limb deep-vein thrombosis (DVT) but it is time consuming, requires patient transport, and cannot be interpreted by most physicians. The accuracy of emergency physician-performed ultrasound (EPPU) for the diagnosis of DVT, when performed at the bedside, is unclear. We did a systematic review and meta-analysis of the literature, aiming to provide reliable data on the accuracy of EPPU in the diagnosis of DVT.