[Venous thromboembolism in patients with neurosurgical process or stroke. A prospective analysis from the RIETE registry].
OBJECTIVE
We studied the characteristics of thromboembolic disease in patients who have suffered a deep venous thrombosis or a pulmonary thromboembolism with the occurrence, two months before, of a neurosurgical process or a stroke.


METHODS
We analyzed the variables of 57 patients who underwent a neurosurgical operation and those of 86 patients who suffered a stroke. These variables were included in the Computerised Records of Thromboembolic Disease.


RESULTS
The average age was of 62.3 (1.9) for neurosurgical and 71.7 (1.5) for stroke patients (p < 0.001). Prophylaxis was previously applied to 31.6% of neurosurgical patients and to 37.2% of patients in the stroke group. Most patients were treated with low molecular weight heparin during the acute phase of the illness. In both groups, 50% of deaths was associated with thromboembolic disease. The proportion of deceases was related to the associated disease and it was significantly higher in the stroke group (18% versus 4.2% in the neurosurgical group, p = 0.028).


CONCLUSIONS
In our study, thromboembolic disease was responsible of 50% of deaths. Stroke patients make up a group with a bad prognosis due to their older age and higher frequency of associated pathology; they have a higher risk of death.
Servicio de Medicina Interna, Hospital Reina Sofía, Córdoba, Spain. mablancom@telefonica.net
Angeles
A
Blanco-Molina
Isabel
I
Palma
Carmen
C
Rubio
Carmen
C
Suárez
Raquel
R
Barba
María R
MR
Gutiérrez
D000368:Aged; D000925:Anticoagulants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006495:Heparin, Low-Molecular-Weight / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019635:Neurosurgical Procedures / Q000401:mortality*; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000401:mortality / Q000517:prevention & control; D011379:Prognosis; D011655:Pulmonary Embolism / Q000401:mortality / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012042:Registries; D012307:Risk Factors; D020521:Stroke / Q000401:mortality*; D020246:Venous Thrombosis / Q000401:mortality / Q000517:prevention & control*
D000925:Anticoagulants; D006495:Heparin, Low-Molecular-Weight