Please note - The EPG Thrombosis Knowledge Centre is for Doctors and other Health Care Professionals.

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is the third most common cardiovascular disease after coronary disease and stroke.  The clinical diagnosis of VTE is unreliable and VTE is often silent. Only about half the patients suspected of having deep vein thrombosis (DVT) actually have the disease.  Unrecognised and untreated VTE may lead to harmful consequences.

Accurate diagnosis of DVT is indispensable. In daily practice, it is generally based on the use of ultrasonography, a non-invasive, rapid and cost-effective method. Untreated DVT can result in fatal PE, whereas anticoagulation in the absence of thrombosis is not reasonable.  For patients with a high clinical suspicion of DVT or PE, it is recommended to initiate treatment with anticoagulants as soon as possible while awaiting the outcome of diagnostic tests.

Clinical symptoms and signs of DVT are unreliable. DVT may present with pain, erythema, tenderness, and swelling of the affected limb. Furthermore, on examination, a palpable cord (reflecting a thrombosedvein), warmth, ipsilateral oedema, or superficial venous dilation may be observed. However, in most instances, DVT is clinically silent (or asymptomatic).

.There are different antithrombotic therapeutic options available for DVT patients, these include:

• Unfractionated Heparins
• Low Molecular Weight Heparins (LMWH)
• Anti Xa Inhibitor

The resource also provides detailed information relating to the international recommendations for:

• The prevention of VTE prophylaxis in Orthopaedic Surgery, Non-orthopaedic Surgery and Non-surgical Patients
• VTE Treatment
• Acute Coronary Syndromes

The recommendations are based on the published ACCP Evidence-Based Clinical Practice Guidelines (2008): Antithrombotic and Thrombolytic Therapy.

Enter the Thrombosis Knowledge Centre

What’s in the Thrombosis Knowledge Centre?

• Home
• Understanding Thrombosis
• Venous Thromboembolism (VTE)
• What is DVT?
  
• What is post-thrombotic syndrome?
• Pulmonary Embolism
• Epidemiology of VTE
• risk factors
• Risk Stratification for VTE
• Coronary Syndromes
• Diagnosis
• Definition
• Prevention
• Management
• Management of Pulmonary Embolism (PE)
  
• Management of Post-thrombotic Syndrome (PTS)
  
• Management of Acute Coronary Syndromes (ACS)
• Treatment Options
• Antithrombotics
• Historical Perspective
• Chemical Structure and Mechanism of Action
• Pharmacokinetics
• Monitoring & Resistance
• Low Molecular Weight Heparins (LMWH)
• Clinical Data
  
• Anti Xa Inhibitor
• Presentation
• Administration
• Safety Information
• General Surgery
  
• Medical Patients
• Venous Thromboembolism
• Summary
• Monitoring
  
• International Recommendations
• VTE Prophylaxis
• Non- Orthopaedic Surgery
• VTE Treatment
• Acute Coronary Syndromes (ACS)
• Patients with cancer
• Pregnant women
• Others
• Guidelines
• Web Links
• Abbreviations and Glossary