Thrombosis research
-
Thrombosis research · Jun 2015
Quality of life after pulmonary embolism: Prospective validation of the German version of the PEmb-QoL questionnaire.
The Pulmonary Embolism Quality of Life questionnaire (PEmb-QoL) is a 40-item questionnaire to measure health-related quality of life in patients with pulmonary embolism. It covers six 6 dimensions: frequency of complaints, limitations in activities of daily living, work-related problems, social limitations, intensity of complaints, and emotional complaints. Originally developed in Dutch and English, we prospectively validated a German version of the PEmb-QoL. ⋯ The German version of the PEmb-QoL questionnaire is a valid and reliable disease-specific measure for quality of life in patients with pulmonary embolism.
-
Thrombosis research · Jun 2015
Application of ROTEM to assess hypercoagulability in patients with lung cancer.
Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is common in patients with cancer, contributing significantly to morbidity and mortality Currently, no test reliably identifies patients at increased risk of developing VTE who would therefore benefit from prophylactic intervention. The aim of the current study was to evaluate rotational thromboelastometry (ROTEM) in identifying VTE risk in patients with lung cancer. We also compared parameters of ROTEM in patients with limited and extensive disease. ⋯ This study demonstrates that several ROTEM parameters are significantly different in lung cancer patients compared to healthy age-matched controls, whereas only one of the parameters measured is significantly different between extensive compared to limited disease. No differences were observed between patients who developed a VTE compared to those who did not, highlighting the limitations of ROTEM use in patients with lung cancer.
-
Thrombosis research · Jun 2015
Comparative StudyComparison of standard fibrinogen measurement methods with fibrin clot firmness assessed by thromboelastometry in patients with cirrhosis.
The Clauss fibrinogen method and thrombin clotting time (TCT) are still routinely used in patients with cirrhosis to define fibrinogen concentration and clotting potential. The thromboelastometric functional fibrinogen FIBTEM assay evaluates the strength of fibrin-based clots in whole blood, providing information on both quantitative deficit and fibrin polymerization disorders. ⋯ FIBTEM-MCF may be considered as a reliable alternative to standard plasma fibrinogen measurement in cirrhotic patients, especially in evaluating fibrin polymerization disorders in these patients. Further studies are needed to evaluate the usefulness of this assay in predicting bleeding complications in cirrhotic patients as well as monitoring replacement treatment.
-
Thrombosis research · Jun 2015
How the direct oral anticoagulant apixaban affects thrombin generation parameters.
Apixaban is a direct oral anticoagulant (DOAC) targeting factor Xa and thus quenching thrombin generation and clot formation. However, little information is available on the influence that apixaban may have on the parameters of thrombin generation. ⋯ These findings support the antithrombotic properties of apixaban and can help to understand the mechanism(s) of action of this drug. Thrombin generation could be used as a convenient laboratory tool to assess the anticoagulant activity of other drugs and to make between-DOAC comparison.