Journal of thrombosis and thrombolysis
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J. Thromb. Thrombolysis · Feb 2010
ReviewWhat you should know about the 2008 American College of Chest Physicians evidence-based clinical practice guidelines (8th) on antithrombotic and thrombolytic therapy.
The American College of Chest Physicians published their first consensus conference guidelines on antithrombotic therapy in 1986 and has updated these guidelines approximately every 3 years as a supplement to the journal Chest. These guidelines are widely accepted as an authoritative source of information and considered by many to be the textbook for antithrombotic therapy. ⋯ Examples from the literature that support the evolution these guidelines will focus on changes that are most germane to the majority of attendees at the 10th National Conference on Anticoagulant Therapy and members of the AC Forum. The objective of this article is to help answer ten common clinical questions frequently faced by anticoagulation management services.
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J. Thromb. Thrombolysis · Feb 2010
Development of national performance measures on the prevention and treatment of venous thromboembolism.
Venous thromboembolism (VTE) remains a significant public health problem in the United States, particularly for hospitalized patients. Approximately two-thirds of all VTE events are associated with recent hospitalization. ⋯ In addition to the organizational policy statement and 17 preferred practices, eight national performance measures addressing various aspects of VTE prevention and care have been endorsed. There is now a broad consensus on standardized measures of quality for the prevention and treatment of VTE, and a national commitment to collect and publicly report data on the quality of care for this important health problem.
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Apixaban, an oral direct factor Xa inhibitor, is currently in late stage clinical development for the prevention and treatment of thromboembolic diseases. In comparison with current treatment standards for venous thromboembolism (VTE) prophylaxis, apixaban has shown decreased rates of clinically significant bleeding with mixed results in terms of non-inferiority for VTE events. ⋯ A large, international phase III clinical study (APPRAISE-2) of apixaban following acute coronary syndrome is currently underway. Large, phase III studies testing apixaban for the prevention of vascular events in subjects with non-valvular atrial fibrillation are also ongoing.
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J. Thromb. Thrombolysis · Aug 2009
Multicenter StudyAn evaluation of practice pattern for venous thromboembolism prevention in Lebanese hospitals.
Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a major cause of death among hospitalized patients. Many VTE prophylaxis guidelines have been developed, including the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP). VTE prophylaxis is required in specific patients; however, its practice is not always optimal, and often depends on the hospitals' protocols. In Lebanon, information about the appropriateness of VTE prophylaxis in health care centers is lacking. ⋯ This study reflected the importance of assessing VTE prophylaxis in Lebanese hospitals, thus, the need for implementing established guidelines to improve the overall patient safety.