Initial strides for invent-VTE: Towards global collaboration to accelerate clinical research in venous thromboembolism.

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) represents a major global burden of disease and requires collaborative efforts to conduct large, high-quality investigator-initiated and academically sponsored studies addressing the most relevant clinical questions. Owing to increasing regulatory requirements, the highly competitive nature of peer-reviewed funding and costs associated with conducting large, multinational clinical trials, completing practice-changing research constitutes a growing challenge for clinical investigators. As clinical trialists interested in VTE, we founded INVENT (International Network of Venous Thromboembolism Clinical Research Networks) in an effort to promote and accelerate patient-oriented, investigator-initiated, international collaborative research, to identify, prioritize and answer key clinical research questions for patients with VTE.

Diclofenac for reversal of right ventricular dysfunction in acute normotensive pulmonary embolism: A pilot study.

Background: The inflammatory response associated with acute pulmonary embolism (PE) contributes to the development of right ventricular (RV) dysfunction. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) may facilitate the reversal of PE-associated RV dysfunction.

Methods: We randomly assigned normotensive patients who had acute PE associated with echocardiographic RV dysfunction and normal systemic blood pressure to receive intravenous (IV) diclofenac (two doses of 75mg in the first 24h after diagnosis) or IV placebo.

Sex differences in the characteristics and short-term prognosis of patients presenting with acute symptomatic pulmonary embolism.

Background: We sought to examine sex-related differences in the characteristics and outcome in patients presenting with acute symptomatic pulmonary embolism (PE).

Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 2,096 patients diagnosed with acute PE. The characteristics were recorded at presentation.

Treatment of Right Heart Thrombi Associated with Acute Pulmonary Embolism.

Background: Evidence-based recommendations do not adequately address the treatment of right heart thrombi in patients who present with acute symptomatic pulmonary embolism.

Methods: This study included patients who had acute pulmonary embolism associated with right heart thrombi and participated in the Registro Informatizado de la Enfermedad TromboEmbólica registry. We assessed the effectiveness of anticoagulation versus reperfusion treatment for the outcomes of all-cause mortality, pulmonary embolism-related mortality, recurrent venous thromboembolism, and major bleeding rates through 30 days after initiation of pulmonary embolism treatment.