Pediatric issues in thrombosis and hemostasis: The how and why of venous thromboembolism risk stratification in hospitalized children

Abstract

Multiple observational studies have identified risk factors for venous thromboembolism (VTE) in hospitalized children, but very few interventional studies have assessed the safety and efficacy of thromboprophylaxis in this population. In recent years, however, evidence in pediatric VTE risk stratification has grown considerably. This has led to the conception of a pediatric subpopulation-specific risk-based paradigm for mechanical and pharmacological thromboprophylaxis in hospitalized children. More research is required to validate and further refine pediatric subpopulation-specific risk models and to subsequently investigate risk-stratified thromboprophylaxis strategies for hospitalized children.

Keywords: Hospital-acquired venous thromboembolism; Pediatrics; Prevention; Risk stratification; Thromboprophylaxis.