Management of venous thromboembolism

Abstract

Introduction: Venous Thromboembolism is an important healthcare problem the world over, resulting in significant morbidity, mortality and resource expenditure. The rationale for use of thromboprophylaxis is based on solid principles and scientific evidence. Indian perspective on this topic is lacking due to the non-availability of published Indian data. This document reviews the available International and Indian data and discusses the relevance of recommendations for prevention and management of Venous Thromboembolism (VTE) in the Indian context.

Materials and methods: Meetings of various specialists from different Indian hospitals in the field of Gastrointestinal Surgery, General and Vascular Surgery, Hematology, Intensive Care, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Oncology and Orthopedics were held in the months of August 2005 to January 2006. The guidelines published by American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP), the International Union of Angiology (IUA), and the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (RCOG), were discussed during these meetings. The relevance of these guidelines and the practical implications of following these in a developing country like India were also discussed. Any published data from India was collected from data base searches and the results, along with personal experiences of the participating specialists were discussed. The experiences and impressions of the experts during these meetings have been included in this document. Data from recent sources (International Union of Angiology and the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) Practice guidelines in Oncology on Venous thromboembolic disease) was subsequently also included in this document.

Results: The suggestions formulated in this document are practical, and would intend to serve as a useful practical reference.

Conclusions: A number of unanswered questions remain in the field of thromboprophylaxis, and carefully designed research protocols may help answer some of these. Implementation of the suggestions outlined in the document remains to be studied in the Indian context.