Journal of thrombosis and thrombolysis
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J. Thromb. Thrombolysis · Nov 2011
Impact of fibrinolysis on immediate prognosis of patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.
Fibrinolytic therapy (FT) during out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) has been studied in several trials, but they have produced unsatisfactory results even in the most recent Thrombolysis in Cardiac Arrest (TROICA) study. This study aimed to assess the impact of FT provided by an out-of-hospital emergency physician on the immediate prognosis of patients with OHCA. We performed a retrospective study in which the primary endpoint was survival to hospital admission. ⋯ This study showed that fibrinolysis was associated with improved survival to hospital admission, after performing a propensity analysis. FT may be beneficial in out-of-hospital arrest patients. However, any conclusions drawn are limited by the retrospective nature of the study.
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J. Thromb. Thrombolysis · Oct 2011
Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical TrialLocal and systemic application of tranexamic acid in heart valve surgery: a prospective, randomized, double blind LOST study.
The study was performed to examine a possible augmentation of systemic administration of tranexamic acid by the additional topical application during heart valve surgery in the post-aprotinin era. One-hundred patients were enrolled in the study and all the patients were given tranexamic acid intravenously. The participants were randomized into two groups (A, n = 49; B, n = 51), and before commencing the sternal suturing, the study solution (group A: 250 ml of normal saline + tranexamic acid 2.5 g, placebo group B: 250 ml of normal saline) was poured into the pericardial cavity. ⋯ Twenty-four hours postoperatively the blood loss was 504.2 [436.0, 583.0] ml in group A, 569.7 [476.0, 681.7] ml in group B, P = 0.293 and P = 0.014, respectively. The proportion of patients transfused postoperatively by fresh frozen plasma differed significantly between the two study groups (group A: n = 21, group B: n = 36, P = 0.008). Our hypothesis is supported by a significant difference in the inter-group variance of blood loss and the proportion of patients requiring fresh frozen plasma; however evident differences in mean postoperative blood loss were not statistically significant.
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J. Thromb. Thrombolysis · Oct 2011
ReviewStandard or extended-duration prophylaxis in medical patients? A review of the evidence.
Acutely ill medical patients are at significant risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE). Thromboprophylaxis can substantially reduce the incidence of VTE, but to be optimally effective must consist of the correct choice of agent, at an appropriate dose, and for sufficient duration. Increasing evidence suggests that VTE risk persists beyond the standard period of prophylaxis. ⋯ In addition to their underlying medical condition, medical patients often have multiple risk factors, placing them at sustained risk of VTE. Extended-duration prophylaxis might be most relevant in such patients. The development of appropriate risk assessment tools could help identify medical patients at greatest risk of late VTE events who might benefit most from extended-duration prophylaxis.
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J. Thromb. Thrombolysis · Oct 2011
Performance measures for improving the prevention of venous thromboembolism: achievement in clinical practice.
Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a common complication during and after hospitalization for acute medical illness or surgery. Despite the existence of evidence-based guidelines for VTE prevention, real-world prescribing practices are frequently suboptimal. Specific performance measures relating to VTE prevention and treatment have been developed by US health care organizations to increase adherence with best-practice recommendations and ultimately reduce the number of preventable VTE events. ⋯ The use of multiple, active strategies, such as computer decision support systems with regular audit and feedback, may be particularly valuable approaches to improve current practices within an integrated quality improvement program. During practical implementation of VTE protocols at Norton Healthcare (Kentucky's largest healthcare system), strong leadership, physician engagement, and caregiver accountability were identified as key factors influencing the process. As such, more hospitals may be able to increase adherence with guidelines, improve achievement of quality goals, and help to reduce the substantial burden associated with avoidable VTE.
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J. Thromb. Thrombolysis · Oct 2011
Randomized Controlled TrialDeterminants of intracranial hemorrhage incidence in patients on oral anticoagulation followed at the Lahey clinic.
Oral anticoagulation with warfarin is widely used to treat venous and arterial thromboembolic disease (Ansell et al. Chest 133(6 suppl):160S-198S, 2008). Its administration is associated with a risk of intracranial hemorrhage (ICH), a devastating complication which usually results in death or severe disability (Fang et al. ⋯ The intake of antiplatelet agent was found to be associated with ICH in univariate analysis only. The INR is an important predictor for the incidence of ICH, but in this study an elevated measurement was found in only half of cases. Mean blood pressure appears to be another important determinant of the risk of ICH in the anticoagulated patient population.