scholarly journals What Do We Know about Thromboprophylaxis and Its Monitoring in Critically Ill Patients?

Biomedicines ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (8) ◽  
pp. 864
Author(s):  
Philippe Cauchie ◽  
Michael Piagnerelli
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Weight ◽  
Pulmonary Embolism ◽  
Deep Vein Thrombosis ◽  
Low Molecular Weight Heparin ◽  
Anticoagulant Activity ◽  
Low Molecular Weight ◽  
Vein Thrombosis ◽  
Important Complication ◽  
Long Time ◽  
Deep Vein

Venous thromboembolism (VTE), including deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism, is an important complication in patients hospitalized in intensive care units (ICU). Thromboprophylaxis is mainly performed with Low Molecular Weight Heparin (LMWH) and, in some specific patients, with Unfractionated Heparin (UFH). These intensive units are an environment where individual patient variability is extreme and where traditional antithrombotic protocols are frequently ineffective. This was known for a long time, but the hospitalization of many patients with COVID-19 inflammatory storms suddenly highlighted this knowledge. It is therefore reasonable to propose variable antithrombotic prevention protocols based initially on a series of individual criteria (weight, BMI, and thrombotic risks). Secondly, they should be adjusted by the monitoring of anticoagulant activity, preferably by measuring the anti-Xa activity. However, we still face unresolved questions, such as once- or twice-daily LMWH injections, monitoring at the peak and/or trough, and poorly defined therapeutic targets. Equally surprisingly, we observed a lack of standardization of the anti-Xa activity kits.

Comparison of a once Daily with a twice Daily Subcutaneous Low Molecular Weight Heparin Regimen in the Treatment of Deep Vein Thrombosis

1998 ◽  
Vol 79 (05) ◽  
pp. 897-901 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bernard A. Charbonnier ◽  
Jean-Noël Fiessinger ◽  
J. D. Banga ◽  
Ernst Wenzel ◽  
Pascal d’Azemar ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Weight ◽  
Pulmonary Embolism ◽  
Deep Vein Thrombosis ◽  
Low Molecular Weight Heparin ◽  
Low Molecular Weight ◽  
Daily Regimen ◽  
Once Daily ◽  
Daily Group ◽  
Vein Thrombosis ◽  
Deep Vein

SummaryBackground: Clinical trials have been performed to compare with standard heparin a once or a twice daily regimen of low-molecular-weight heparin but no direct comparison has been done between these two low-molecular-weight heparin regimens in terms of efficacy and safety with a long-term clinical evaluation.Methods: Patients with proximal deep vein thrombosis, confirmed by venography were randomly assigned to either nadroparin (10,250 AXa IU/ml) twice daily or nadroparin (20,500 AXa IU/ml) once daily for at least 5 days. Regimens were adjusted to bodyweight. Oral anticoagulants were started on day 1 or 2 and continued for 3 months. Patients were followed up for 3 months. The composite outcome of venous thromboembolism and death possibly related to pulmonary embolism was the primary measure of efficacy. Major bleeding was the principal measure of safety. The study was designed to show equivalence between the two regimens.Results: Recurrent thromboembolic events or death possibly related to pulmonary embolism were reported in 13 patients in the once daily group (4.1%) and in 24 patients of the twice daily group (7.2%): (absolute difference 3.1% in favor of the once daily regimen; 95% confidence interval -6.6%, +0.5%). Major bleeding episodes during nadroparin treatment occurred in 4 (1.3%) and 4 patients (1.2%) in the once and twice daily groups, respectively.Conclusions: A nadroparin regimen of one injection per day is at least as effective and safe as the same total daily dose divided over two injections for the treatment of acute deep vein thrombosis.

Outpatient Treatment of Pulmonary Embolism with Dalteparin

2000 ◽  
Vol 83 (02) ◽  
pp. 209-211 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Anderson ◽  
B. Morrow ◽  
L. Gray ◽  
D. Touchie ◽  
P. S. Wells ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Weight ◽  
Pulmonary Embolism ◽  
Deep Vein Thrombosis ◽  
Venous Thromboembolism ◽  
Low Molecular Weight Heparin ◽  
Low Molecular Weight ◽  
Outpatient Management ◽  
Medical Reason ◽  
Vein Thrombosis ◽  
Deep Vein

SummaryPulmonary embolism is a common complication of deep vein thrombosis. It has been established that low molecular weight heparin may be used to treat deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism and randomized studies have established that outpatient management of deep vein thrombosis with low molecular weight heparin is at least as effective as in-hospital management with unfractionated heparin.This was a prospective cohort study of eligible patients with pulmonary embolism managed as outpatients using dalteparin (200 U/kg s/c daily) for a minimum of five days and warfarin for 3 months. Outpatients included those managed exclusively out of hospital and those managed initially for 1-3 days as inpatients who then completed therapy o out of hospital. Reasons for admission included hemodynamic instability; hypoxia requiring oxygen therapy; admission for another medical reason; severe pain requiring parenteral analgesia or high risk of major bleeding. Patients were followed for three months for clinically apparent recurrent venous thromboembolism and bleeding.Between three teaching hospitals, a total of 158 patients with pulmonary embolism were identified. Fifty patients were managed as inpatients and 108 as outpatients. Of the outpatients, 27 were managed for an average of 2.5 days as inpatients and then completed dalteparin therapy as outpatients. The remaining 81 patients were managed exclusively as outpatients with dalteparin. For all outpatients the overall symptomatic recurrence rate of venous thromboembolism was 5.6% (6/108) with only 1.9% (2/108) major bleeds. There were a total of four deaths with none due to pulmonary embolism or major bleed.This prospective study suggests that outpatient management of pulmonary embolism is feasible and safe for the majority of patients.

Low Molecular Weight Heparin and Compression Stockings in the Prevention of Venous Thromboembolism in Neurosurgery

1996 ◽  
Vol 75 (02) ◽  
pp. 233-238 ◽  
Author(s):  
M T Nurmohamed ◽  
A M van Riel ◽  
C M A Henkens ◽  
M M W Koopman ◽  
G T H Que ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Weight ◽  
Pulmonary Embolism ◽  
Deep Vein Thrombosis ◽  
Venous Thromboembolism ◽  
Low Molecular Weight Heparin ◽  
Low Molecular Weight ◽  
Compression Stockings ◽  
Vein Thrombosis ◽  
Neurosurgical Patients ◽  
Deep Vein

SummaryPerioperative anticoagulant prophylaxis for postoperative venous thromboembolism (VTE) in neurosurgical patients has not gained wide acceptance due to the fear of intracranial bleeding. Physical methods give a worthwhile reduction of postoperative VTE but there still remains a substantial residual incidence. In other clinical indications, low molecular weight heparins have proven to be effective for prophylaxis of VTE when administered postoperatively, with the advantage of no bleeding enhancement during surgery.Therefore, we performed a multicentre, randomized, double-blind trial in neurosurgical patients to investigate the efficacy and safety of adding a low molecular weight heparin (LMWH), nadroparin, initiated postoperatively, to graduated compression stockings in the prevention of VTE. Deep-vein thrombosis was detected by mandatory venography. Bleeding was determined according to pre-defined objective criteria for major and minor episodes.An adequate bilateral venogram was obtained in 166 of 241 LMWH patients (68.9%) and 179 of 244 control patients (73.4%). A total of 31 of 166 LMWH patients (18.7%) and 47 of 179 control patients (26.3%) had VTE up to Day 10 postoperatively (p = 0.047). The relative risk reduction (RRR) was 28.9%. The rates for proximal deep-vein thrombosis/pulmonary embolism were 6.9% and 11.5% for the two groups, respectively (RRR: 40.2%; p = 0.065).Secondary analyses involved all VTE up to day 56 post-surgery which was detected in 33 patients of 241 in the LMWH group (13.7%) and 51 of 244 control patients (20.9%; RRR 34.5%; p = 0.018). The corresponding percentages for proximal deep-vein thrombosis/pulmonary embolism were 5.8% and 10.2% for the two groups, respectively, giving a RRR of 43.3%; p = 0.036. Major bleeding complications, during the treatment period, occurred in six low molecular weight heparin treated patients (2.5%) and in two control patients (0.8%); p = 0.087.A higher mortality was observed in the low molecular weight heparin group over the 56-day follow-up period (22 versus 10; p = 0.026). However, none of these deaths was judged by a blinded adjudication committee to be related to the study drug.In conclusion, this study demonstrates that the low molecular weight heparin, nadroparin, added to graduated compression stockings results in a clinically significant decrease in VTE without inducing any significant increase of major bleeding.

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