title: Effect of the time of diagnosis on outcome in patients with acute venous thromboembolism. Findings from the RIETE Registry.
abstract: The influence of the day of diagnosis (weekends vs. weekdays) on outcome in patients with acute venous thromboembolism (VTE) has not been thoroughly studied. We used the RIETE database to compare the clinical characteristics, treatment details, and mortality rate at 7 and 30 days, of all patients diagnosed with acute VTE on weekends versus those diagnosed on weekdays. Up to January 2010, 30,394 patients were included in RIETE, of whom 5,479 (18%) were diagnosed on weekends. Most clinical characteristics were similar in both groups, but patients diagnosed on weekends had less often cancer (20% vs. 22%; p=0.004), and presented more likely with pulmonary embolism (PE) than those diagnosed on weekdays (52% vs. 47%; p <0.001). Most patients in both groups received initial therapy with low-molecular-weight heparin (90% and 91%, respectively; p=0.01), then switched to vitamin K antagonists (72% and 71%, respectively; p=0.007). The 7-day mortality rate in patients presenting with PE was 2.75% in those diagnosed on weekends versus 3.00% in those diagnosed on weekdays (p=0.49). At 30 days, the mortality rate was 6.51% versus 6.06%, respectively (p=0.38). In patients presenting with deep vein thrombosis alone, the 7-day mortality rate in those diagnosed on weekends was 1.04% versuss 0.66% in those diagnosed on weekdays (p=0.053). The mortality rate at 30 days was of 3.41% versus 2.88% (p=0.14), respectively. In RIETE, the clinical characteristics, treatment strategies, and 7- and 30-day mortality rates of patients diagnosed on weekends were similar to those in patients diagnosed on weekdays.
authors.affiliation: Department of Haematology, Clinica Universitaria de Navarra, Pamlona, Navarra, Spain.
authors.forename: Ramón
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lecumberri
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Soler
authors.forename: Jorge
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Del Toro
authors.forename: Raquel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Barba
authors.forename: Vladimir
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Rosa
authors.forename: Maurizio M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Ciammaichella
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Monreal
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006493:Heparin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006495:Heparin, Low-Molecular-Weight / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012042:Registries; D013995:Time; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D054556:Venous Thromboembolism / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality
chemical_list: D006495:Heparin, Low-Molecular-Weight; D006493:Heparin