Knowing the Risk

The significant impact of venous thromboembolism (VTE)

Thrombosis, the formation of a blood clot within the circulatory system, is a leading cause of death and disability.
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Up to 15% of patients hospitalised for an acute medical illness develop venous thromboembolic disease⁵⁴
One out of every two patients undergoing major orthopaedic surgery without thromboprophylaxis will develop deep vein thrombosis (DVT)³
There are more deaths each year due to VTE than deaths due to breast cancer, AIDS, and traffic accidents combined²¹

Surgery, especially major orthopaedic surgery involving the hip or knee, is a prominent risk factor.

Certain medical conditions, or even a stay in the hospital, can put patients at risk.

Venous thromboembolic disease is associated with the risk of intermediate- and long-term complications.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) increases the risk of thrombus formation within the heart, which can lead to cardioembolic stroke.

Acute thrombus formation within a coronary artery is the proximate cause of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and a potential cause of heart attack.

54 - Tapson VF, Decousus H, Pini M, et al; IMPROVE Investigators. Venous thromboembolism prophylaxis in acutely ill hospitalized medical patients: findings from the International Medical Prevention Registry on Venous Thromboembolism. Chest. 2007;132(3):936-945.
3 - Geerts WH, Bergqvist D, Pineo GF, Heit JA, Samama CM, Lassen MR, and Colwell CW. Prevention of Venous Thromboembolism: American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP) Evidence-Based Clinical Practice Guidelines (8th Edition). Chest. Jun 2008: 381S–453S.
21 - Fitzmaurice DA, Murray E. Thromboprophylaxis for adults in hospital. BMJ. 2007;334(7602):1017-1018.

Thromboprophylaxis: The use of medication or medical devices to prevent the formation of blood clots.
Venous thromboembolism: A condition in which a blood clot (thrombus) forms in a vein, which in some cases then breaks free and enters the circulation as an embolus, finally lodging in and completely obstructing a blood vessel, e.g., in lungs causing a PE. The term encompasses both DVT and PE.
Acute coronary syndrome: This is an umbrella term used to cover any group of clinical symptoms compatible with acute myocardial ischaemia (chest pain due to insufficient blood supply to the heart muscle that results from coronary artery disease). Acute coronary syndrome covers the spectrum of clinical conditions ranging from unstable angina to STEMI and NSTEMI.