INCIDENCE AND HOSPITAL MORTALITY FROM VENOUS THROMBOEMBOLISM
Keywords:
deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, venous thromboembolism, incidence, mortalityAbstract
Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a potentially fatal disease that represents a major health problem and one of the most common causes of mortality in hospitals. Although it can affect young healthy individuals, this disorder most often occurs in patients who have undergone multiple traumas, surgical interventions, are immobile for a long period of time, or have a hypercoagulable state. As a result of the formation of a thrombus in the venous circulation, venous thromboembolism manifests as deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE). Globally, venous thromboembolism, clinically presented as DVT or PE, ranks third in frequency in the group of acute cardiovascular syndromes, after myocardial infarction and stroke.
Objective: The aim of this paper is to present the number of diagnosed and treated patients with venous thromboembolism, including deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism in the intensive care unit, as well as hospital mortality.
Materials and methods: Data were retrospectively retrieved from the State Statistical Office, in the period between 2013-2023. The study included patients hospitalized and treated with a diagnosis of venous thromboembolism, including DVT and PE.
Results: This paper includes 392 patients diagnosed and treated with a diagnosis of venous thromboembolism for the period from 2013 to 2023 in an intensive care unit. Of these, 114 (29%) patients were treated according to the pulmonary embolism protocol. Of the total, 26 patients died, i.e. the hospital mortality rate was 6.63%. The largest number of patients with VTE were aged 50-59 years, 149 patients (38.01%) of the total number.
Conclusion: Despite the availability of evidence-based guidelines recommending VTE prophylaxis, there is a significant implementation gap, making it a leading cause of unexpected in-hospital deaths. Additionally, the multifaceted nature of VTE risk factors, ranging from transient to persistent and provoked to unprovoked, makes timely diagnosis of the disease difficult. The study highlights the importance of a multidisciplinary approach in undertaking various preventive measures, including pharmacological and mechanical options, in order to reduce the incidence of VTE, which will contribute to reducing hospital mortality.
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